"The opening ceremony of the Druzhba 2024 [Friendship-2024] joint Russian-Pakistani tactical exercise was held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Pabbi in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," the ministry said.
The Russian armed forces are represented by personnel of the Southern Military District's motorized rifle formation stationed in the Volgograd Region, who were taken to the training area by an IL-76 aircraft of the Russian aerospace forces the day before, according to the statement.
A representative of the Pakistani armed forces underscored in his welcoming address the importance of the strategic partnership and friendly ties between the two nations, which positively affect regional security, the ministry added.
"During the exercise, servicemen of the two countries will practice cooperation in carrying out tasks within the framework of combat operations in the mountainous terrain to eliminate illegal armed formations as well as to conduct scouting and making ambush operations in the mountainous and forested terrain," the statement read.