Pakistan, Russia move to finalise extradition treaty

Pakistan and Russia have agreed to finalise an extradition treaty and strengthen cooperation against organised crime. The two countries also plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to prevent organised crime and improve the exchange of information.

The agreements were discussed during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in Islamabad on Wednesday. The meeting was followed by delegation-level talks focused on security cooperation and other areas of mutual interest.

Kolokoltsev arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a four-day visit at Naqvi’s invitation. His visit marks the first time a Russian interior minister has travelled to Pakistan.

Naqvi described the proposed MoU on organised crime prevention as an important step towards closer cooperation between the two countries. Both sides agreed to accelerate work on the extradition treaty and an agreement for the exchange of criminals. They also pledged to implement an existing readmission agreement at the earliest.

The two countries agreed to strengthen collaboration between Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force and relevant Russian institutions. They also decided that working groups from their respective interior ministries would visit each other to advance cooperation.

Cybercrime prevention was another key topic during the discussions. Pakistan and Russia agreed to enhance coordination between the National Police Academy and the Russian Police Academy. Naqvi expressed Pakistan’s interest in learning from Russia’s experience in tackling cybercrime.

Kolokoltsev said joint efforts were necessary to combat organised crime, including terrorism, drug smuggling and illegal migration. He also highlighted Russia’s progress in reducing cybercrime, saying effective measures had helped lower such offences by 33 per cent.

The talks also covered opportunities to send skilled Pakistani workers to Russia and make visa procedures easier for tourists and businesspeople. Naqvi said a more flexible visa system could promote people-to-people contacts and strengthen bilateral relations.

Education was also discussed during the meeting. Naqvi noted that around 1,300 Pakistani students were currently studying in Russia and said Islamabad wanted more students to pursue their education there.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Russian ambassador to Pakistan and senior officials from both countries also attended the meeting.

Pakistan and Russia have expanded their economic engagement in recent years, with both sides showing interest in closer cooperation in areas including trade and energy. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in January that relations between Moscow and Islamabad were mutually beneficial. In July last year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk described the two countries as natural allies and highlighted Pakistan’s importance as a partner in economic and energy cooperation.