Russian forces arrive in Pakistan for the third joint military exercise

ISLAMABAD: A contingent of the Russian army arrived here Monday to take part in the third edition of a joint bilateral military training exercise, announced the Pakistani army .

The two armies will organize joint military exercises in the mountains of northwestern Pakistan, which will continue until 4 November.

This will be the third joint military exercise between Pakistan and Russia in the framework of the bilateral cooperation agreement in the field of training, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media branch of the Pakistani army.

"The contingent of the Russian army arrived in Pakistan to participate in the Pakistani joint training exercise" Druzhba III, "the statement added.

The Army did not provide more details on the exercises.

Earlier, the Russian army announced that the exercise would be held on the training ground of Nowshera district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa district, which would involve more than 70 soldiers of the military district of southern Russia.

Members of the armed forces of both countries will perform duties at an altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level.

At the same time, the Pakistani army said that the third exercise was part of the bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Russia in the field of training.

Both parties are trying to strengthen their ties with the defense. Last August, they signed an agreement authorizing Pakistani troops to train in Russia.

The agreement was signed during the visit of Russian Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Alexander Fomin, to Islamabad, to participate in the first meeting of the Joint Russian-Pakistan Military Advisory Committee on Security and the defense.

Russia and Pakistan have been organizing friendship exercises since 2016. In October 2016, they organized their first ever joint military exercise in Pakistan. In 2017, more than 200 soldiers took part in the exercises organized by Russia in Minralney Vody, in the North Caucasus, at 2,300 meters altitude.

Defense links between Pakistan and Russia in defense have surpbaded the bitter hostilities of the cold war of recent years, and cold relations between Pakistan and the United States have again pushed the country towards Russia and China.

Pakistan has shown willingness to strengthen its ties with Russia at the defense level.

In the past three years, Russia has supplied Pakistan with four Mi-35M cargo and cargo helicopters.