The agenda of today's talks between S.V. Lavrov and his Pakistani colleague S.M. Qureshi will cover bilateral relations with an emphasis on cooperation in the trade, economic and counter-terrorism spheres, as well as exchange of views on international and regional issues, including completion of the Afghan settlement process. S.V. Lavrov said the priority task was to expand trade and economic ties. In 2020, the volume of trade amounted to a record $790 million, an increase by 46% was inter alia due to large supplies of Russian wheat. Within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, specific projects of business partnership are discussed. Russia is also investing in many energy projects. The flagship project is the construction of the North-South gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore under the Intergovernmental Agreement signed in 2015. Negotiations are under way to an early start of its practical implementation. FM Qureshi said that both sides have made significant progress in implementing the North South Gas pipeline project. "I am happy to share that we have overcome many of the impediments," Qureshi said. Other promising projects include Russian LNG supplies to Pakistan, modernization of the Karachi Steel Mills built with the assistance of the erstwhile Soviet Union (USSR), the reconstruction of the energy and railway systems of Pakistan, as well as the supply of Russian civil aircraft.