Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official visit to Russia in March, it was officially announced today. The visit will feature a major business forum with over 100 leading Pakistani companies and will provide an opportunity for the fifth summit between the prime minister and President Vladimir Putin, signaling a further deepening of a significant diplomatic and economic engagement.
The announcement was made by Pakistan”s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, H.E. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, during his address at the Moscow-Islamabad Media
Forum on today. The envoy noted that the high frequency of meetings between the two leaders indicates a high level of diplomatic interaction.
Addressing a panel of diplomats, scholars and media experts today, Ambassador Tirmizi described the relationship between the two countries as ‘long-standing’ and ‘multifaceted.’ Highlighting the common links, he said, ‘We share geography, history, cuisine and linguistic roots. Pakistan is part of the Eurasian landmass.’
The Ambassador also underscored the consistency of bilateral defence ties, referencing the regular “Druzhba” military exercises and joint naval drills as a testament to the growing security partnership between Moscow and Islamabad.
In addition to economic and security collaboration, Pakistan is committed to strengthening cultural and educational exchanges. The Ambassador revealed a goal to increase the number of Pakistani students studying in Russia to 13,000, aiming to position Russia as a premier destination for academia and culture. ‘Furthermore, I would be delighted to see Russian scholars and students visiting Pakistan to foster academic exchange,’ the diplomat stated.
“The time has come to take this relationship to the next level,” concluded Ambassador Tirmizi.
The forum was jointly organised by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the , the University of World Civilizations (UWC) in Russia, and the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University (SASSI) in Pakistan.
Other prominent speakers included Ms. Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chair of Pakistan’s Senate Committee on Defence and Security; Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI); and H.E. Mr. Albert Khorev, the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, who spoke via video link.