Islamabad: – Pakistan and Russia concluded the 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, held from November 25 to 27 in Islamabad. The session was co-chaired by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari, who hailed the talks as constructive and forward-looking.
Both sides noted that nearly 65 percent of Russia’s exports to Pakistan comprise agricultural products, while Pakistan mainly exports textiles, leather goods and food items to Russia. They agreed to expand trade, reduce non-tariff barriers and simplify customs procedures. Discussions also covered LNG and LPG supplies, renewable and hydropower projects, cooperation in mineral extraction, the modernization of Pakistan Steel Mills and plans to localize Russian insulin production. Progress was reviewed on test cargo shipments along the eastern route of the North-South International Transport Corridor. The two countries also agreed to broaden collaboration in science and education, with plans to sign agreements by 2026 on mutual recognition of academic degrees and partnerships in engineering, medicine, IT and space technology.
Several key documents were signed at the conclusion of the meeting, including the final protocol of the 10th IGC, an MoU between Sputnik News Agency and the Associated Press of Pakistan, an MoU between Rosstandart and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority and an MoU between the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service and Pakistan’s Competition Commission. Cultural cooperation also featured prominently, with the Russian delegation visiting the I-8 Model College for Boys and meeting survivors of the 2005 earthquake alongside Russian emergency personnel who took part in rescue operations. A concert featuring Russian and Pakistani folk music was held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, while a monument honouring Yuri Gagarin, the world’s first cosmonaut, was unveiled in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah Park. Both Sergei Tsivilev and Awais Leghari expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the commission, reaffirming their commitment to implementing the agreed measures and further strengthening Pakistan-Russia relations on the basis of mutual respect.
