Pakistan, Russia call for deeper cooperation in trade, energy and education

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Russian policymakers, diplomats, academics and business leaders on Thursday called for stronger institutional cooperation to transform bilateral relations into practical partnerships in trade, energy, education, technology and regional connectivity during a high-level Pakistan-Russia webinar.

The virtual dialogue, jointly organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) and Russia's University of World Civilizations, focused on translating growing political engagement between Islamabad and Moscow into commercially viable projects and long-term economic cooperation.

Participants said shifting geopolitical dynamics, changing global supply chains, Pakistan's strategic location and Russia's eastward economic orientation present an opportunity to significantly expand bilateral cooperation, stressing that both countries should now prioritize implementation over symbolic engagement.

The webinar recommended establishing sector-specific implementation groups under the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission to oversee cooperation in energy, trade, transport, education, agriculture, the digital economy and finance through annual targets and quarterly performance reviews.

Participants also proposed developing a Pakistan-Russia Comprehensive Economic Roadmap spanning five to ten years to guide cooperation in trade, industrial development, investment, connectivity and technology transfer, while accelerating preparations for deeper economic integration with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) through sectoral studies and future preferential market access.

To facilitate bilateral trade, speakers called for reviving structured barter trade and bilateral clearing arrangements for selected commodities to reduce dependence on hard currency, drawing on the historical Pakistan-USSR experience and existing approvals in both countries.

They further recommended establishing dedicated payment and settlement mechanisms, including exploring local currency settlements, banking channels, supplier credit arrangements and trade finance solutions to ensure uninterrupted bilateral commerce.

The discussions also focused on strengthening regional connectivity. Participants proposed launching a Pakistan-Russia Trade Corridor initiative and evaluating the proposed MIR Trade Route through Pakistan, Wakhan and Tajikistan as part of a broader Eurasian logistics strategy connecting Pakistan with Central Asia and Russia.

They also called for feasibility studies on rail links integrated with highways, dry ports and multimodal logistics, alongside investment in cold-chain infrastructure, grain terminals, bonded warehousing, customs digitization and cargo-tracking systems.

Participants said Pakistan could emerge as a southern logistics hub for Eurasia by leveraging Gwadar and Karachi ports to improve connectivity with Central Asia and Russia.

The webinar also urged expanding cooperation beyond hydrocarbons into liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil, refining, electricity infrastructure, renewable energy technologies and engineering, while promoting collaboration in agriculture, food security, fertilizers, irrigation systems, agricultural machinery and food processing.

Participants recommended promoting joint ventures in railway engineering, mining, steel, heavy machinery, packaging, refrigeration and agro-processing, while converting existing memorandums of understanding into time-bound project pipelines with designated focal persons.

The speakers urged Pakistan to utilize its 2027 chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Business Council to promote practical cooperation in agro-logistics, digital documentation, standards, food security, investment and regional connectivity.

In the digital economy, participants proposed expanding collaboration in e-government, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and ICT services. They also recommended introducing Russian-language training for diplomats, engineers, customs officials, energy professionals and trade negotiators as part of professional capacity-building efforts.

In education, the webinar called for increased scholarships, reciprocal student exchanges, Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) certification, joint research centres, dual-degree programmes and the establishment of campuses of leading Russian universities in Pakistan.

Participants further stressed the importance of strengthening people-to-people contacts through alumni networks, think tank dialogue, university partnerships and sustained cultural exchanges to ensure bilateral cooperation remains institutional rather than personality-driven.

Referring to the recent momentum in bilateral ties, participants noted that Pakistan and Russia have expanded economic engagement in recent years. They also recalled Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks describing relations with Pakistan as "genuinely mutually beneficial" and affirming Moscow's close ties with Islamabad.

The participants concluded that long-term regional stability, particularly improved conditions in Afghanistan and across Eurasia, would further strengthen connectivity, energy security and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Russia.