OREANDA-NEWS Pakistani foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Kureshi agreed with Russia's initiative to take the role of mediator in reducing tensions between Delhi and Islamabad, Pakistani media reported.

"Lavrov (Russian foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ) offered mediation. I do not know about the (position) of India, but I want to say that Pakistan is ready to accept Russia's proposal for peace talks," the Pakistani newspaper the Dawn quotes Kureshi.

Earlier, Russian foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia can provide a platform for the organization of negotiations between Pakistan and India to resolve the escalated conflict between them, if Delhi and Islamabad express such desire.

"If they want, then, of course," Lavrov told reporters, answering the question about the provision of a negotiation platform.

The Pakistani authorities reported that two Indian air force aircraft had been shot down on 27 February by the Pakistani armed forces in the Kashmir region and informed of the detention of two Indian pilots. Also, the Pakistani foreign Ministry spread information that the Pakistani air force, while in Pakistani airspace, attacked targets in the area of the demarcation line between Pakistan and India.

In turn, the Indian Foreign Ministry reported that as a result of the incident in the Kashmir region, the Indian air force shot down one Pakistani fighter, but lost one of its own aircraft.

Tonight it was reported that in an air battle on the border, Pakistani pilots on American F-16 fighters met with Indian opponents on the Russian su-30MK.

According to channel NDTV, in total the country took to the sky 32 aircraft. So, Pakistan used eight F-16, as well as four French Mirage-3 and Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder. Indian military pilots piloted four SU-MK, a pair of Mirage 2000 and the same MiG-21.

Relations between the two States deteriorated in mid-February, when a terrorist attack occurred near a column of Indian paramilitary police. The explosion killed 45 people.