Pakistan and Russia Near Signing Over Ten Agreements Ahead of Moscow Commission Meeting

ISLAMABAD: Significant progress has emerged towards expanding economic, industrial and technological cooperation between Pakistan and Russia.

A Russian delegation to the Russia-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission met under the chairmanship of Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, reviewing new avenues of cooperation in various sectors and preparations for joint projects.

The 11th meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission will be held in Moscow on 25 November 2026. Pakistan’s Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev are the joint chairmen of the commission.

According to the Russian Ministry of Energy, preparations for signing more than 10 cooperation agreements and documents across various sectors have entered their final stages. The Russian energy minister stressed ensuring practical progress on ongoing projects and preparing concrete proposals for cooperation.

Energy and Industry

The meeting held detailed discussions on the supply of Russian energy resources to Pakistan, modern energy storage systems, improving energy efficiency and hydropower projects. The possibilities of Russian cooperation in building new hydropower plants in Pakistan and upgrading existing hydropower projects with modern technology were also reviewed.

Talks were also held on technical cooperation to protect Pakistan’s energy infrastructure from cyberattacks and other digital threats. Under industrial cooperation, the possibilities of rehabilitating Karachi Steel Mills and restructuring it along modern lines were also considered.

The possibility of enhancing cooperation in the health and pharmaceutical sectors was reviewed, particularly the launch of projects for the local production of Russian insulin in Pakistan.

The meeting agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime shipping sector and to further strengthen trade links through the International North-South Transport Corridor. The question of establishing a research group in 2026 to examine the possibility of a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Pakistan was also discussed.

Agriculture, Education and Disaster Response

Bilateral agricultural trade between Pakistan and Russia has recorded a 17 per cent increase, while Russian exports of processed agricultural products to Pakistan continue to rise. The meeting considered the supply of Russian mineral fertilisers and veterinary vaccines.

The number of Pakistani students at Russian educational institutions has risen to approximately 1,400. During the 2025-26 academic year, the number of Pakistani students studying at Russian universities doubled compared with 2023. An Open Education Centre for the promotion of the Russian language has also been established in Islamabad.

Pakistan and Russia have agreed to continue mutual cooperation in natural disaster management, emergency relief operations and rescue. Russian emergency experts took part in joint exercises on natural disaster management in Pakistan in January 2026.

Russian rescue teams also played a key role in relief activities in Pakistan following the devastating earthquake of 2005, which is regarded as a notable example of humanitarian solidarity and cooperation between the two countries.

The 11th meeting in Moscow on 25 November is expected to review new areas of economic, industrial, trade, energy, agricultural, educational and scientific cooperation. The meeting is also expected to finalise more than 10 proposed agreements and documents and consider a roadmap for advancing joint projects.