Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an interim agreement to maintain their ceasefire following recent talks in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The talks took place from Oct 25 to 30 under the mediation of Turkish and Qatari officials.
A joint statement confirmed that the recent talks in Istanbul aimed to reinforce a ceasefire initially agreed upon by Pakistan and Afghanistan after their last talks in Doha from Oct 18 to 19.
The parties are committed to continuing the truce, with detailed implementation measures to be discussed at a head-of-state-level meeting scheduled to take place on Nov 6 in Istanbul, according to the statement.
A monitoring and verification mechanism will be established to ensure compliance with the peace agreement, including penalties for any violations.
Türkiye and Qatar, acting as mediators, praised Pakistan and Afghanistan for their constructive engagement and reaffirmed continued support toward achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
The fresh agreement follows an escalation of hostilities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border during the night of Oct 11 to 12, which resulted in casualties on both sides. The Doha talks earlier this month had produced an initial ceasefire agreement and laid the groundwork for a more structured peace process.
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to extend ceasefire following Istanbul talks
Russia is taking all necessary measures to ensure its national security amid the growing presence and military activities of NATO member states in the Arctic region, a Russian diplomat said on Saturday.
RIA Novosti quoted Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolai Korchunov as saying that recent military preparations by Norway, Britain and other NATO countries on the alliance's northern flank pose direct security risks to Russia, destabilize the Arctic region and increase the likelihood of dangerous incidents.
It is clear that the intensified militarization of Norway's northern regions and the internationalization of military activity in the Arctic will not strengthen security but instead fuel military-political tensions and escalation, Korchunov said.
He stressed that these negative trends cause justified concern and compel Russia to take all necessary steps to safeguard its security.
Britain and Norway signed a new defense cooperation agreement on Thursday. The agreement includes joint maritime patrols in waters between Greenland, Iceland, Britain and Norway to monitor movements of Russian Navy submarines. It also provides for increasing the number and duration of British Royal Marines deployments on Norwegian territory, and envisages the possible creation of supporting military infrastructure in the country's northern regions.
NATO's Arctic activities pose security threat to Russia: ambassador
