Citing a statement the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistani media reports said that a Russian military delegation, accompanied by senior officers of the Pakistan Army, visited Miran Shah in North Waziristan Agency and Wanna in South Waziristan Agency on March 30, 2017.
According to Pakistani Dawn, the delegation of the Russian army, the first ever to visit the conflict-stricken areas, was led by Deputy Chief of General Staff Colonel-General Sergey Isakov.
The delegation was reportedly briefed on Pakistan Army's efforts to clear FATA from terrorists of all hue and colors.
The visiting Russian military officers were also briefed on border management on the Pak-Afghan border and socio economic development projects in the area.
Cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and Pakistan has grown in recent times and the visit comes months after Russian servicemen held a joint military exercise in Pakistan..
In September 2016, a contingent of Russian ground forces arrived in Pakistan for the first ever joint Pak-Russian exercise.
Around 200 military personnel of both countries participated in the drills. The special operations drills codenamed ‘Druzhbha-2016’ — a Russian word meaning “friendship” — saw Russian troops and Pakistani Special Forces working in close cooperation.
Meanwhile, some Afghan media outlets, citing representatives of Afghan police, reported that the visiting Russian military officers accompanied by their Pakistani counterparts had allegedly visited the militants training camps.
The New York Times says Russia has been a long-time ally of Pakistan's rival India, while Pakistan has traditionally been in the U.S. sphere of influence. However, Islamabad has taken steps to move closer to Russia and Moscow recently invited Pakistan and China to discuss Afghanistan.
Another round of talks is scheduled for April 14 in Moscow, which will be attended by Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and the Central Asian states. The United States has reportedly declined the invitation.
