Russia looking to collaborate with Pakistan: envoy

MARDAN: Russian Ambassador Alexy Dedov said here Wednesday that his country was looking for collaboration with Pakistan in various sectors including economics, trade, energy, textile, architecture, sports and culture.
“Pakistan is a culturally rich country and is very important because of its geographic location. We are looking for new avenues to strengthen bilateral relations,” he said while delivering a talk on “Pakistan-Russia Relations - New Prospects and Challenges” at the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan.
The event was held at the university’s new Garden Campus and was largely attended by faculty members, students and outside guests. Among the invitees were Pakistani graduates of Russian educational institutions.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, PTI lawmaker Zahid Durrani, Chairman Department of Journalism and Mass Communication Shiraz Paracha and faculty members of various departments were also present on the occasion.
The ambassador along with his delegation was warmly received at the university. It was the first visit of a Russian Ambassador to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a long time. AWKUM became the first university to host the ambassador of Russia.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ihsan Ali in his welcome speech shed light on Takht Bhai in Mardan that was once a great centre of Buddhism and Gandhara civilization.
He informed the audience that the people of this area had made progress long before Europe and America. “Pashtuns were famous for their hospitality and rich culture but unfortunately their positive image was not portrayed in the national and international media,” he lamented.
Ambassador Alexy Dedov told the participants that his country had always seen Pakistan as an important country and a key player in the world politics. “The Russian people are aware of Pakistan’s rich culture and literature and the work of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, a renowned poet, has been translated into Russian language,” he added.
The ambassador explained Russian foreign policy and talked about the contemporary world issues such as Syria and Afghanistan.
He said Russia was playing a positive role in seeking solution to the issue of terrorism. He said that terrorism was not an issue of a single nationality rather it was an international phenomenon.
He said his country was striving hard for peaceful settlement of disputes in Middle East and Afghanistan and was actively collaborating with the United Nations. The visit was organised by veteran journalist Shiraz Paracha, presently Chairman of Journalism and Mass Communication Department at the AWKUM.
A session of Pakistani graduates from Russia was also held after the lecture in the meeting room of the Central Library. The participants informed the ambassador that Russia should offer more scholarships to Pakistani students.