Pakistan-Russia webinar strengthens cooperation dynamics in trade, education and energy

The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad, in collaboration with the University of World Civilizations (UWCM), Moscow, organized the second event of the Pakistan-Russia Webinar Series on Thursday, titled ‘Pakistan-Russia: Strengthening Trade, Education and Energy Collaboration’.

The webinar brought together high-level policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and academics from both countries to examine practical opportunities for expanding bilateral engagement in the areas of trade, industrial development, energy, education and regional connectivity.

Building on the success of the first webinar in the series in June 2026, the second dialogue advanced discussions from geopolitical perspectives towards concrete geoeconomic initiatives.

Participants emphasized that sustained interaction between governments, academic institutions, business and policy communities was essential to unlock the considerable potential of Pakistan-Russia relations in an evolving Eurasian landscape.

Opening the webinar, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President, Institute of Regional Studies, observed that Pakistan and Russia are entering a new phase of bilateral engagement in which economic cooperation, institutional partnerships and people-to-people exchanges can complement the ever-expanding diplomatic relations.

He stressed that political dialogue must increasingly be accompanied by practical initiatives capable of generating long-term economic and strategic benefits for both countries.

In his opening speech, Minister of Energy Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to diversifying its international energy partnerships and identified Russia as an important partner in energy security, infrastructure development, technological cooperation and long-term investment.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Alexei V. Gruzdev has reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to expanding industrial and trade relations with Pakistan and highlighted new emerging opportunities in Eurasia.

Pakistan Ambassador to the Russian Federation Faisal Niaz Tirmizi highlighted the importance of translating the positive trajectory of bilateral political relations into greater trade, investment, connectivity and cooperation with the private sector.

Boris Burmistrov of the Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan through intergovernmental collaboration, deepening multi-sectoral ties and working together in regional and international forums to promote common interests.

Moderator of the first session, Dr. Roxolana Zigon guided discussions on trade, transport connectivity and energy collaboration. Mohsin Sheikh, Chairman of the Pakistan-Russia Business Council, gave a historical overview of the trade dimensions between the two countries and then presented practical approaches to expand bilateral trade through improved logistics, development of economic corridors and stronger business-to-business engagement in Eurasia.

Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah, Executive Director of CISSS Karachi, highlighted the importance of long-term resilient energy partnerships and greater collaboration in energy infrastructure and strategic planning through measures such as advanced Eurasian freight services and special representatives on Eurasian trade in the respective countries.

Learn more: Pakistan, Russia agree to sign economic cooperation program extending until 2030: Awais Leghari

Dr Prokhor Tebin examined the changing dynamics of globalization and argued that emerging PK Press Club-economic realities provide new opportunities for Pakistan and Russia to deepen their cooperation. Summing up the session, Dr Zigon highlighted the importance of sustained institutional dialogue focused on practical implementation.

The second session, moderated by Dr. Usman W. Chohan, examined industrial development, education, human capital and financial cooperation as key pillars of long-term bilateral engagement. Dr. Asma Naveed, National University of Modern Languages, made concrete recommendations on bilateral human capital development, including language training in specialized economic sectors, joint and sustainable institutional engagement and the establishment of Russian language centers in the Pakistani education system.

Dr. Svetlana Minyurova, Russian Academy of Education, presented prospects for closer collaboration between Pakistani and Russian universities through joint research, technology transfer, academic exchanges and institutional partnerships.

Mr. Dmitry Antonov of the Pakistan Cooperation Business Council (Russia) made concrete recommendations regarding the facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) relations between the two countries, including banking channels, development of internal routes and use of Eurasian multilateral forums.

During both sessions, participants agreed that the evolving global political economy provides significant opportunities for Pakistan and Russia to diversify economic partnerships, strengthen regional connectivity and expand cooperation in trade, industry, energy, education, science and technology. Speakers highlighted the importance of building stronger links between governments, universities, businesses and research institutes to translate shared strategic interests into tangible results.

In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem observed that the discussions reflected a broad convergence of views on the need to move beyond dialogue towards implementation. He noted that sustained engagement would be essential to develop sustainable and multidimensional partnerships.

The participants agreed that the Pakistan-Russia webinar series has become an important platform for advancing strategic dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding between the two countries. They welcomed the plan to continue the series to examine and chart pathways to strengthen the growing partnership between Pakistan and Russia in an increasingly interconnected Eurasian region.