A PAKISTANI delegation is expected to visit the Soviet Union shortly to sign a new agreement for further co-operation in cultural and scientific fields.

This was stated by the Pakistan Ambassador in Moscow, Mr Salman Ahmed Ali, in an interview with the Novosti Press Agency, APN.

The Ambassador spoke of the growing Pak-Soviet co-operation in various fields, particularly since the visit of President Ayub to the Soviet Union in 1965. He said this has been possible because the peoples of the two countries are really interested in the establishment of good neighbourly relations based on friendship and mutual respect and the two countries had similar aims on many cardinal questions of international policy.

The Ambassador said Pakistan follows a policy of peace and appreciates the peaceful policy of the Soviet Union towards the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Mr Ali said the people of Pakistan were looking forward to the visit to Pakistan of the Soviet Prime Minister Kosygin and other Soviet leaders.

Mr Salman Ali added that Soviet-Pakistani relations “rest on solid foundations and there is nothing to divide them”.

He said Pakistan expected that the “fundamental issue which continues to create tension between Pakistan and India will be settled peacefully as envisaged in the Tashkent Declaration”.

“The people of Pakistan” he said, deeply regret the tragic events in Viet-Nam. They are convinced that the reasons which gave rise to these events must and can be eliminated at the table of peace. Our people respect and appreciate the peaceful policy of the Soviet Union and its initiatives towards the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

“When in 1965 the relations between India and Pakistan were seriously aggravated over Kashmir and a military conflict broke out, the peaceful initiative of the Soviet Union in arranging the conference in Tashkent made it possible to stop hostilities and establish peace.”

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017