Pakistan and Russia on Monday signed a MoU to increase parliamentary cooperation at a ceremony held at the parliament house here in Islamabad. According to a press release by Parliament House, Chairman Senate, Yousuf Raza Gilani and the visiting Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko signed the MoU on behalf of their respective countries. Addressing the special sitting of the Upper House of Parliament, Matvienko has said Russia respects Pakistan's sovereignty, culture and history. She emphasized that this relationship is based on mutually-beneficial and respectful grounds, asserting that there are no minor or major partners in it. The Russian Speaker expressed a firm desire to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields including economy, trade and energy, adding that Russia is ready to scale-up supplies of mineral fertilizers, modern agriculture machines and share modern technology with Pakistan to increase its agricultural productiv ity. The visiting Russian dignitary said that both Pakistan and Russia can learn a lot from each other and open new horizons for this friendship. She expressed confidence that parliaments of the two countries will play their role in improving the legal framework for their cooperation. The Russian Speaker said Pakistan has a favorable geographical location and has considerable logistics and transit potential. She expressed satisfaction over the similarities of their approaches on the majority of international issues, pointing out that both countries have consistently promoted and strengthened the UN central coordinated role in international relations. Welcoming the election of Pakistan to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, Matvienko said this shows the increasing influence of Pakistan on the global arena. Meanwhile, Chairman Gillani in his welcome remarks said that Matvienko's visit represents another important step in strengthening the growing ties between Pakistan and Russia. He said the two nations are connected by a shared commitment to regional stability, peace, and prosperity, expressing confidence that this visit will be a stepping stone toward a brighter future of cooperation between Pakistan and Russia. He also said that the agreement promotes interaction between parliamentary friendship groups and highlights a professional development program focusing on capacity-building and enhancing institutional development for effective parliamentary engagement for both nations. During her visit, Matvienko is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Premier Shehbaz Sharif and speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Source: Kuwait News Agency
