The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad, in collaboration with the University of World Civilisations (UWCM), Moscow, on Thursday convened the second event in the Pakistan-Russia Webinar Series, titled “Pakistan-Russia: Strengthening Trade, Education & Energy Collaboration.”

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

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

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

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

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

Delivering the keynote address, Energy Minister 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 Alexey V. Gruzdev reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to expanding industrial and commercial engagement with Pakistan and emphasised new opportunities emerging across Eurasia.

Pakistan’s 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 private-sector cooperation.

Boris Burmistrov of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan through intergovernmental collaboration, deepening multisectoral linkages, and working together in regional and international fora to advance shared interests.

Moderating the first session, Dr Roxolana Zigon guided discussions on trade, transport connectivity and energy collaboration. Mohsin Sheikh, Chairman of the Pakistan-Russia Business Council, provided a historical overview of trade dimensions between both countries and then outlined practical approaches to expanding bilateral commerce through improved logistics, economic corridor development, and stronger business-to-business engagement in Eurasia.

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

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Dr Prokhor Tebin examined the changing dynamics of globalisation and argued that emerging geoeconomic realities provide Pakistan and Russia with fresh opportunities to deepen cooperation. Summarising the session, Dr Zigon emphasised 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 of the National University of Modern Languages provided concrete recommendations on bilateral human capital development, including language training in specialist economic sectors, joint and lasting institutional engagement, and establishing Russian language centres in the Pakistani education system.

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

Mr Dmitry Antonov of the Business Council of Cooperation with Pakistan (Russia) offered concrete recommendations regarding the facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) ties between both countries, including banking channels, inland route development, and use of Eurasian multilateral fora.

Across both sessions, participants agreed that the changing global political economy presents Pakistan and Russia with significant opportunities to diversify economic partnerships, strengthen regional connectivity and expand cooperation in trade, industry, energy, education, science and technology. Speakers stressed the importance of building stronger linkages among governments, universities, businesses and research institutions to translate shared strategic interests into tangible outcomes.

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

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 plans to continue the series in order to examine and delineate paths to reinforce Pakistan and Russia’s growing partnership in an increasingly interconnected Eurasian region.