Russian interior minister begins four-day visit to Pakistan for high-level talks

On Monday, Vladimir Kolokolstev, Russia’s interior minister, touched down in Islamabad for a four-day mission, the first time a Russian interior minister has visited Pakistan. He was received by Tallal Chaudhry, Pakistan’s minister of state for interior, after an invitation from interior minister Mohsin Naqvi. During the stay, Kolokolstev is slated to engage in talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in areas such as energy and trade.

The trip echoes earlier remarks by President Vladimir Putin, who described Russia-Pakistan ties as genuinely mutually beneficial, and by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, who called the two countries natural allies. Recent years have seen growing economic links, highlighted by Pakistan’s addition of Russian crude oil to its energy mix in 2023.