Pakistan and Russia Sign Bilateral Agreements on Illegal Immigration and Drug Trafficking

Pakistan and Russia have formalised a framework for deeper security cooperation, signing bilateral agreements targeting illegal immigration and drug trafficking on the sidelines of a high-level regional gathering in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

The agreements were inked during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference of interior and public security ministers. The Ministry of Interior confirmed the development in an official statement issued on Saturday.

The two sides concluded two key accords: the first aimed at curbing illegal immigration and streamlining the repatriation of nationals between the two countries, and the second focused on strengthening joint efforts against narcotics trafficking and drug-related crime.

Beyond the Russia engagement, Minister Naqvi held a series of bilateral meetings with the interior ministers of four Central Asian SCO member states, each centred on security challenges tied to the situation in Afghanistan.

In talks with Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, discussions zeroed in on security threats emanating from Afghan soil, particularly the presence of terrorist training camps and the country’s role as a major narcotics production hub. Naqvi stated that the existence of such camps posed serious security concerns for the entire region, and participating ministers noted that approximately 25 terrorist organisations were currently operating within Afghanistan.

Naqvi’s meeting with Uzbek Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov focused on expanding law enforcement collaboration and developing joint training programmes between the two countries’ security agencies.

In a separate engagement with Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation across areas of shared interest. Naqvi also extended Pakistan’s congratulations to Kyrgyzstan on its recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The day’s final bilateral was with Kazakhstan’s Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov. The two sides agreed to intensify cooperation on preventing illegal immigration and resolved to establish a joint working group between their interior ministries to provide a structured, ongoing mechanism for bilateral collaboration.

The Bishkek conference brought together interior and security ministers from across the SCO membership at a moment of heightened regional concern over Afghanistan-linked instability, with cross-border terrorism, narcotics flows, and irregular migration emerging as the dominant themes of the multilateral agenda.