ISLAMABAD (S Awan) Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev met with Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, in which bilateral cooperation was discussed to combat the growing threats of cybercrime, including terrorism, extremism, organized crime, illegal trafficking of drugs and arms.

According to the Russian Embassy spokesperson, during the meeting, the Russian Interior Minister said that bilateral cooperation between law enforcement agencies is a strong foundation for friendly, constructive and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and Pakistan.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev said that Russia considers Pakistan an important partner in opposing the use of international law enforcement cooperation for political purposes. He also highlighted the importance of Pakistan on the United Nations platform.

Issues of prevention of international organized crime, terrorism, extremism, arms and illegal drug trafficking were discussed in the talks. Cooperation between the two countries to combat international cybercrime was also discussed.

Referring to crimes like telephone fraud, phishing and cryptocurrency-driven Ponzi schemes, the Russian Interior Minister said timely information exchange between relevant agencies is essential to effectively deal with these threats.

He also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation through Interpol and sharing expertise in the field of cybercrime investigation.

Welcoming bilateral cooperation in the field of professional training in the meeting, the Russian Interior Minister expressed Russia's willingness to expand training and professional development programs for Pakistani experts.

At the end of the talks, Vladimir Kolokoltsev thanked Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for the constructive discussions and reiterated Russia's determination to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan's law enforcement agencies.