JUN 15 (DNA) – Pakistan has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin’s offer of mediation to resolve the ongoing tension between Islamabad and New Delhi.

Islamabad’s reaction came during the weekly routine press briefing of Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria in the capital on Thursday.

FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told the press that Pakistan had recently established high-level contact with Russia, adding that Pakistan welcomed Putin’s offer to ease tensions between the two countries.

The prime minister had met the Russian president in Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Kazakhstan earlier this month.

Putin had earlier dismissed Indian fears over growing Russia-Pakistan ties, saying that although Moscow enjoyed “deep cooperation” with India, the same could not preclude ties with other countries. “This is ridiculous,” Putin was reported to have said.

He had added that it was not for him to decide whether Pakistan was fuelling terrorism in India-held Kashmir—an allegation India has repeatedly made.

Zakaria also discussed Saudi-Pak ties a day after media reports claimed the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz had asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “are you with us or with Qatar?”

Zakaria said the Kingdom had given the premier a ‘very warm’ welcome and hosted an iftar for him.

PM Nawaz and the Saudi king discussed the Middle East crisis, with the former assuring the latter of the protection of the two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia.

Regarding the abduction and murder of Chinese nationals, the FO said the government is in contact with Chinese authorities “The government is taking the matter very seriously,” Zakaria said, adding that the abducted nationals had no link to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26 were abducted from Jinnah Town Quetta on May 24 and later murdered by the militant Islamic State group. They were suspected of illegal missionary work.

The Chinese government said it would work with Pakistani authorities to investigate reports that the two were missionaries. “We will cooperate with the Pakistan government and launch an investigation in accordance with the law,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.