Russian Foreignmin Welcomes Steps of India and Pakistan to Normalise Bilateral Relations

Moscow welcomes "the mutual steps of New Delhi and Islamabad towards normalisation of bilateral relations with future resumption of the peace dialogue".

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov made this statement at the Russian-Indian consultations with his Indian counterpart Rakesh Kumar, on international issues held on May 5-6 in New Delhi, the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department has informed RIA Novosti.

The Ministers "confirmed their mutual interest in strengthening the UN coordinating role in resolving such topical problems as combating international terrorism and drug threat, Iraq's post-war settlement, the Afghani crisis and the Middle East settlement".

During the consultations it was also stressed that "Russia and India actively supported forming of a global system to counteract terrorism and other new threats and challenges on the international law basis and under the UN aegis," the Foreign Ministry's document says. "Both countries spoke in favour of adoption of the Indian draft Universal convention on combating international terrorism and Russian draft International convention on suppression of nuclear terrorist acts as soon as possible," the statement reads.

The Russian side "expressed a principle standpoint on resolving the Kashmir problem on a bilateral basis without any exterior interference", the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out.

Peacekeeping, UN international sanctions and remedial issues were also on the agenda of the consultations.