NIZHNY TAGIL: Pakistan and Russia are currently in talks on the delivery of Russian multirole Mi-35M attack helicopters and the latest Su-35 fighter jets, Sputnik News reported on Thursday.
Both countries were negotiating the deal for the past year, signalling a major thaw in relations between the two countries.
Talking to journalists, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Pakistan is Russia s closest partner and the two countries’ ties are evolving not only militarily but in other sectors, including energy.
“I do not think that the contacts under discussion will cause jealousy on the part of any of the two sides,” he added.
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif visited Russia in June this year, after which a draft contract for the delivery of four Mi-35M Hind E combat helicopters was sent to Pakistan from Russia.
Pakistan currently has a number of Mi-17 helicopters delivered by the US to assist in the fight against militancy.
The Mi-35 helicopter is an exceedingly modernised version of the Mi-24 combat helicopter with new onboard equipment and avionics. It also has a more powerful engine and a different tail rotor.
Pakistan and Russia signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening military-to-military relations in November last year.
