Russia-Pakistan Defense Partnership: A New Era of Military Cooperation

The fourth joint meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Military Committee on Defense and Security, led by Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin and Pakistan's Secretary of Defense Lt Gen (R) Hamood Uz Zaman Khan, was convened in Moscow.

According to media reports, a comprehensive and constructive discussion took place on a variety of issues concerning the political and military landscape in Afghanistan.

Fortifying Bonds: Pakistan and Russia's Trying to Enhance Military Partnership

During the Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC) meeting, both parties assessed their current bilateral relations, and explored into various areas of cooperation, encompassing military training, joint exercises, intelligence collaboration, and defense industrial cooperation.

Similarly, two months before, on third meeting of the Joint Military Consultative Committee which was held in Islamabad, both sides committed to effectively following up and implementing the decisions made, with the hope of further strengthening defense cooperation through the ongoing work of the JMCC.

The JMCC, established in 2018 as the principal bilateral forum for defense cooperation, operates within the framework of the 2014 defense cooperation agreement between Islamabad and Moscow. Since the signing of this agreement, defense ties between the two countries have steadily expanded, covering bilateral interests, global and regional security issues, and ongoing conflicts, as per media report.

Pakistan and Russia have, nonetheless, experienced a consistent upsurge in defense cooperation, marked by frequent high-level interactions. Notably, previous three meetings and the pivotal 'Defense Cooperation Agreement' resulted in Russia supplying four Mi-35 gunship helicopters to Pakistan.

In this regard, one of the security and defense expert was approached by Sputnik India.

As a result, this collaboration has been strengthened through substantial exchanges, encompassing visits by military leaders, joint military exercises like friendship, and the endorsement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on naval cooperation.

Speaking with Sputnik India, Aslam further told, "Another important sector is arms procurement, in which Pakistan has procured Mi-35 attack helicopters and Kornet-E anti-tank guided missiles from Russia. Russia has also supplied RD-93 engines for the JF-17 multi-role aircraft. In terms of defense industry cooperation, there is a lot of potential for Russian defense companies to invest in Pakistan. Now, Russian defense companies can also utilize the opportunities of the newly launched Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).”

A Pakistani JF-17 fighter aircraft flies in a formation during a ceremony to mark Pakistani Defense Day, in Islamabad, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015.

Strengthening Diplomatic Ties: Pakistan and Russia's 75-Year Partnership

Moreover, three days before, Additional Foreign Secretary Europe, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan also visited Moscow at the invitation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.

In the discussion, the diplomats and representatives of both states have uncovered that Pakistan and Russia have reached an understanding to sustain constructive engagement on regional issues, including Afghanistan, and to collaborate at multilateral forums such as the UN and SCO. The discussions also involved a positive assessment of the bilateral cooperation level, with a specific focus on trade, energy, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Furthermore, on September 21, 2023, during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Minister of Pakistan. The discussion centered on the current bilateral and international agenda, with a focus on Ukraine and Afghanistan. Both parties reiterated their commitment to enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as well as collaborating on regional and global issues.

In the context of bilateral relationship between two nations, after these meetings and discussions, Aslam told Sputnik India, “The bilateral relations between Pakistan & Russia are expected to enhance after the 4th meeting of the joint Russia-Pakistan military committee on defense and security. The next edition of the friendship counter-terrorism exercise is also scheduled for the near future, which will provide an opportunity for both militaries to learn from each other's experiences.”

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