Islamabad is ready to hold talks with New Delhi after Russia offers mediation help, the Pakistani foreign minister said as cited by local media. It comes as tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations are running high.

Russia expressed its willingness to help ease hostilities between the two arch rivals on Thursday. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will provide a place for Indo-Pakistani talks “if they wish to.” Tipping his hat to the Kremlin, Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced his country is ready to talk.

“Lavrov has offered to mediate. I don’t know about India but I want to say this to Russia that Pakistan is ready to come to the table and de-escalate tensions,” Qureshi said.

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India and Pakistan have been engaged in several air and ground skirmishes over the disputed region of Kashmir this week, raising fears over further escalation in the long-standing conflict.

Several nations, including the US, China, and Russia, called for restraint from both New Delhi and Islamabad. Apart from Russia, Turkey and Iran have also volunteered to mediate.

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