LOC13:10
10:10 GMT
PAKISTAN GETS 4 RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS
ISLAMABAD, JUNE 18 (KUNA) -- PAKISTAN RECEIVED FOUR MILITARY HELICOPTERS
FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION LAST WEEK WHILE FOUR MORE WILL BE RECEIVED IN A
WEEK, A DEFENCE MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID HERE ON TUESDAY.
HE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE WARMING UP OF RELATIONS BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND
RUSSIA AFTER PAKISTANI PRESIDENT GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF'S MEETING WITH HIS
RUSSIAN COUNTERPART, VLADIMIR PUTIN, IN ALMATY, (KAZAKHSTAN).
PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF HAD ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO RUSSIA EXTENED TO HIM BY
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN. THE INVITATION WAS ALSO EXTENDED TO INDIAN PRIME
MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE, THE OFFICIAL ADDED.
HE SAID THAT THE DATES OF THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO MOSCOW WERE BEING
FINALISED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AND THAT THE VISIT WAS EXPECTED TO TAKE
PLACE IN A MONTH OR SO. AFTER HIS INITIATIVE OF INVITING MUSHARRAF AND
VAJPAYEE TO MEET THE TWO LEADERS ON THE SIDELINES OF A REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN
ALMATY TO DE-ESCALATE THE PAKISTAN-INDIA TENSION, PUTIN HAD EXTENDED
INVITATIONS TO BOTH THE LEADERS TO VISIT MOSCOW WITH THE SAME SPIRIT.
HOWEVER, INDIA IS LUKEWARM TO PUTIN'S INVITATION DUE TO ITS TRADITIONAL
REJECTION OF THIRD PARTY INVOLVEMENT IN THE KASHMIR ISSUE WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME NEW DELHI HAS NOT ONLY ACCEPTED BUT ALSO WELCOMED THE ROLE OF THE US AND
SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES IN DEFUSING THE LINGERING TENSIONS WITH PAKISTAN.
OFFICIALS SEE A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PAKISTAN-RUSSIA RELATIONS IN THE
WAKE OF PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF'S VISIT TO MOSCOW. (END)
MYK.BZ.
KUNA 181310 Jun 02NNNN