Pakistan, Russia sign pacts for cooperation against illegal immigration, drug trafficking

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, signed agreements to enhance cooperation in preventing illegal immigration and drug trafficking, the interior ministry said on Saturday. Naqvi is currently attending a special meeting of the Ministers of Interior and Public Security of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. According to the interior ministry, Naqvi and Kolokoltsev signed agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation to curb illegal immigration and facilitate the repatriation of citizens. The two also signed an agreement to enhance collaboration in combating narcotics and preventing drug trafficking. Meanwhile, Naqvi also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the ministry said. It added that during his meeting with Tajikistan’s Interior Minister Rahimzoda Ramazon Hamro, the discussions focused on terrorist camps inside Afghanistan. “Both ministers agreed that terrorist camps and narcotics production in Afghanistan pose serious security concerns for the region,” the ministry said, adding that they noted that 25 terrorist organisations were currently active in Afghanistan. During the meeting with Uzbekistan’s Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulato, the discussions focused on cooperation between law enforcement agencies and joint training initiatives. It was decided that a working group would be established to enhance cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries, the ministry said. Separately, Naqvi and Kyrgyzstan Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov agreed to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The interior minister congratulated Kyrgyzstan on being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and also thanked him for the excellent arrangements for the SCO moot, the ministry added. Naqvi also met with his Kazakh counterpart Yerzhan Sadenov, where the two ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in preventing illegal immigration. They also decided to establish a working group of their respective ministries to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the ministry said. Naqvi addressed the moot on Friday and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the “Shanghai spirit” and called for a joint strategy among SCO member states to counter terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and terror financing. On Thursday, Naqvi met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, on the sidelines of the moot and the two discussed bilateral relations and the current regional situation. Both ministers also exchanged views on Pakistan–Iran relations and the latest regional situation.