ISLAMABAD, July 8: Russia has welcomed Pakistan’s inclusion in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an observer member and said that it will help in further strengthening relations between the two countries, a foreign office statement said on Friday. “Mutual Cooperation between Pakistan and Russia was of great significance in the efforts to eliminate threats to humanity,” said a statement issued following a meeting between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of recent SCO summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana which granted Pakistan, India and Iran ‘observer status’ on the six-nation grouping.

With a sharp focus on enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries within the SCO framework, the two leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral relations along with regional and international issues concerning Pakistan and Russia.

The Russian foreign minister expressed satisfaction over grant of an observer’s status to Pakistan in the SCO. Since Pakistan and Russia hold identical stance on many regional and international issues, importance of joint efforts to combat international threats was underlined by both sides.

Pakistan and Russia both face risks from terrorists’ organizations and share similar views on the role of UN in eliminating terrorism.

Mr Ivanov also expressed satisfaction over normalization of Pak-India relations which, he said, would play an important role in bringing peace and prosperity in the region. Pak-Russia relations got a new impetus with the visit of President Musharraf to Moscow in 2003.

Several rounds of meetings between the foreign ministers of two countries have taken place following this visit.—APP