NEW DELHI: After he ends his India visit next week on April 6, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will hop over to Pakistan for a rare two-day visit.

The visit to Islamabad is certain to raise eyebrows here at a time the two countries, according to Pakistani authorities, have succeeded in developing some “strategic trust”.

Russia’s growing ties with Pakistan, including in the military domain where the two countries have been conducting joint exercises, remains a thorny issue in its ties with India despite repeated assurances by Moscow that it will do nothing to jeopardise India’s security.

Russian authorities said Lavrov would discuss economic cooperation and counter-terrorism issues with his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The Russian foreign ministry on Thursday announced Lavrov’s visits, saying while he would visit India April 5-6, the minister would travel to Pakistan April 6-7.