Pakistan and Russia on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, connectivity and other key sectors, while also agreeing to strengthen coordination at multilateral forums.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Manila.

During the meeting, the two leaders also reviewed the state of Pakistan-Russia relations and underscored the importance of sustained high-level engagement to further deepen bilateral ties.

They also exchanged views on key regional and global developments and agreed to remain in close contact to advance cooperation on issues of mutual interest.