Pakistan welcomes Turkey, Russia decision to normalize relations

Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed the latest developments in bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia.

Relations between Russia and Turkey had been tense after Turkish forces shot down a Russian Su-24 jet near the Turkish-Syrian border on Nov. 24, 2015 for alleged airspace violation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday in a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his country is ready to launch the process of restoring its relationship with Turkey for the normalization of bilateral ties.

"We fully support the wise steps being taken by the leaders of the two countries to normalize relations," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

"Normalization of relations between Turkey and Russia would be helpful in reducing tensions in the region and effectively dealing with regional and global challenges including the menace of terrorism," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

He said Pakistan enjoys close friendly relations with both Turkey and Russia and will continue to work with Ankara and Moscow to enhance cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.

The Turkish and Russian leaders also agreed to consider the possibility of a face-to-face meeting in the near future, according to a Kremlin statement. Endit