'Concerned' Moscow asks Pakistan to stop terror groups

Russia has voiced concern due to the aggravation of the situation along the Line of Control

 

Russia on Friday voiced concern at the "aggravation" in the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan and asked Islamabad to take effective steps to stop the activities of terror groups on its territory.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry also called on both parties to settle their existing problems through dialogue.

"We are concerned with the aggravation lately of the situation along the LoC between India and Pakistan," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We are calling on the parties not to allow any escalation of tension and to settle the existing problems by political and diplomatic means through negotiations. We stand for decisive struggle against terrorism in all its manifestations," it said.

"We expect that the Government of Pakistan should take effective steps in order to stop the activities of terrorist groups in the territory of the country," it said.

The statement comes a day after India said its troops had carried out "surgical strikes" on terrorist launch pads across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has denied the cross-border strikes, and said it was a LoC skirmish.

The statement from Moscow also comes days after the Pakistani and Russian troops held their first ever joint exercise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan is also in talks to purchase Mi-35s helicopters from Russia.