Pakistan and Russia on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation against organised crime, at a ceremony in Islamabad witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, signed the document.
Kolokoltsev arrived on Monday for a four-day visit at Naqvi's invitation. The Express Tribune reported that it is the first visit to Pakistan by a Russian interior minister.
During talks at the Interior Ministry, the two sides agreed to finalise agreements on extradition and the transfer of convicted persons, and to speed up implementation of their readmission agreement. According to official statements, they also agreed to deepen coordination between Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force and Russian agencies, cooperate against cybercrime, and build links between Pakistan's National Police Academy and its Russian counterpart. Working groups from both interior ministries are due to exchange visits soon.
Naqvi called the organised crime agreement an important milestone and said easier visas would boost people-to-people contact. Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying more than 1,300 Pakistani students are studying in Russia. The sides also discussed sending skilled Pakistani workers to Russia and simplifying visas for tourists and business travellers.
Kolokoltsev stressed joint action against terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal migration, and said Russia had cut cybercrime by 33 per cent through targeted measures.
In his meeting with the Russian minister, Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the positive momentum in relations and called for wider cooperation in trade, investment, energy and economic development, the Prime Minister's Office said.