ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia on Thursday reaffirmed their resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation in diversified trade, energy, business-to-business engagements and social sectors like health and education.

At the conclusion of the three-day 10th Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commi­ssion (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, the two sides also signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in quality standards, anti-monopoly regulation and the media sector.

The Nov 25-27 IGC was co-chaired by Energy Minister Awais Leghari and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Tsivilev.

“The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to a broad, forward-looking partnership that supports the socio-economic development of Pakistan and the Russian Federation and contributes to regional stability and connectivity,” an official statement said.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the constructive discussions on enhancing bilateral trade, diversifying export portfolios and strengthening business-to-business engagement.

At 10th Intergovernmental Commission, both sides agree to boost cooperation in trade, business and education

They reiterated the importance of continued cooperation to facilitate trade fairs, exchanges between business communities and improved market access for key Pakistani products, including textiles, sports goods, IT services, engineering items and agricultural commodities.

The two delegations also acknowledged the significance of advancing the pilot cargo movement along agreed corridors and confirmed their intention to operationalise a pilot train, marking a tangible step towards improving regional logistics and connectivity.

Energy cooperation remai­ned a central element of the dialogue, with both sides noting positive engagement in the oil and gas sectors, opportunities in LNG and LPG supply frameworks, and the importance of technical collaboration.

They also emphasised the potential for renewable energy, hydropower development, and water-related technologies, including hydrological monitoring and flood resilience.

In the industrial and technology sectors, discussions covered pharmaceutical cooperation, including insulin localisation, modernisation of the Pakistan Steel Mills’ metallurgical capacity, and possible ventures in heavy machinery, mining, and advanced manufacturing.

The two sides underscored the importance of scientific, academic and technological collaboration and reiterated plans to finalise intergovernmental agreements on higher education, the mutual recognition of degrees and scientific cooperation, alongside expanding scholarships, joint research and academic mobility in engineering, medical sciences, IT and space technology.

In this regard, both sides welcomed initiatives to establish Rus­s­ian language centres in Islamabad and Karachi. A special ceremony was hosted by the Federal Directorate of Educa­tion (FDE) at the Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8, where a centre for Russian language learning is being launched.

The delegations also expr­essed appreciation for expanding cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges, including school partnerships, youth programmes and cultural outreach efforts.

During the session, the Russian delegation met survivors of the 2005 earthquake, highlighting the humanitarian solidarity between the two nations, and a cultural performance by Russian artists was held at the PNCA.

Pakistan acknowledged the installation of the Yuri Gagarin statue in Islamabad as a symbol of friendship and scientific coope­ration between the two nations.

The session also discussed avenues for cooperation in hum­anitarian and disaster management. The National Disa­ster Mana­gement Autho­rity (NDMA) of Pakistan and the Ministry of Emergency Situa­tions of the Russian Federation agreed to explore collaboration on early warning systems, emergency response training, and resilience-building measures.

The two sides also discussed opportunities in sports cooperation, tourism promotion and strengthening media and cultural linkages to support grea­ter public understanding bet­ween the peoples of both countries.

The three MoUs signed at the end included one between the Pakistan Standards and Qua­lity Control Authority (PSQCA) and Russia’s Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Met­ro­logy to strengthen collaboration in standardisation, metrology, and conformity assessment.

The second MoU was between the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia to support cooperation in competition law, exchange of expertise and capacity building.

The third MoU was signed by the state-run news agencies — Associated Press of Pakistan and Russia’s Sputnik — to enhance media cooperation and professional exchanges.

The two sides also decided to hold the 11th session of the Pak­is­tan-Russia Inter­gove­rnmental Commission in the Russian Federation in 2026 on mutually convenient dates.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2025