“Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RF’s (Russian Federation) Training Institutes,” the ministry said.

Islamabad: For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabad’s increasingly uneasy relations with the United States.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the conclusion of the first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC) — the highest forum of their defence collaboration, according to Pakistan’s defence ministry.

“Both countries signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RF’s (Russian Federation) Training Institutes,” the ministry said.

The Russian side was led by deputy defence minister Col. Gen. Alexander V. Fomin, and Lt. Gen (retd) Zamir ul Hassan Shah, secretary defence, led the Pakistani delegation.

Pakistan’s defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan and the militaries of the two countries also held joint drills codenamed “Friendship”.

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