Albert P. Khorev, Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan @ Seminar by a think tank in Islamabad on 09 February 2026
On May 1, 1948, Russia and Pakistan established diplomatic relations as a result of an agreement reached in New York between Andrei Gromyko and Zafrullah Khan, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
Turning to the topic of the current state and prospects of Russia-Pakistan relations, I would like to reiterate that their history began in 1948, shortly after the Islamic Republic of Pakistan gained independence. The Cold War proved to be a difficult period for bilateral relations, yet ties between our peoples developed in various areas.
In the 1960s, the USSR assisted Pakistan in developing its energy sector, including creating a national oil and gas company, exploration, and mineral extraction. With the help of Soviet specialists, the metallurgical plant in Karachi, as well as the Guddu, Jamshoro, and Muzaffargarh thermal power plants, were built from the 1970s to the 1990s.
In the 2000s, a new impetus was given to the development of cooperation between Moscow and Islamabad when the Russian Federation, successor to the USSR, embarked on an active, multi-vector foreign policy, increasing interaction with countries in the Global South. Today, we can confidently say that the friendship between Russia and Pakistan is growing stronger every year.
We have established a dynamic and constructive political dialogue, which helps us sustain the positive momentum of our bilateral cooperation. Our countries maintain regular high-level contacts; last year, our leaders met twice, in Beijing in September and in Ashgabat in December.
Our interparliamentary ties are also very strong. Friendship groups operate in the legislative assemblies of our countries. From 2024 to 2025, the speakers of the upper houses of the Russian and Pakistani parliaments exchanged visits. In November of last year, a Russian delegation led by the deputy speakers of the Federation Council and the State Duma visited Islamabad to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference.
In 2025 alone, the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Pakistan held three in-person meetings at multilateral events. The Russian and Pakistani foreign ministries have consultative mechanisms in place to address bilateral and regional issues, strategic stability, and countering international terrorism and other new security challenges. These meetings are held annually, alternating between Moscow and Islamabad.
Russia and Pakistan effectively coordinate their efforts in the international arena, primarily at the UN and SCO. We are united by our commitment to the ideas of a just, polycentric world order; fair, equitable world trade; the principle of the UN’s leading role in international relations; traditional values; and the preservation of cultural heritage and historical truth. Together, we oppose international terrorism, extremism, neocolonialism, neo-Nazism, Islamophobia, and all forms of discrimination based on national or religious identity.
We are exploring opportunities to expand trade and economic cooperation. Bilateral institutions, such as the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation (IGC) and its working groups, as well as the Business Council for Cooperation with Pakistan under the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, play a pivotal role in this endeavor. The Russian Trade Mission in Islamabad is actively engaged in this work.
A number of promising projects have already been identified. These include restoring the Karachi Steel Mills, launching a railway connection between our countries via the North-South International Transport Corridor, organizing joint production of medicines (including insulin) in Pakistan, participating in developing plans for local hydropower development, constructing new hydroelectric power plants and modernizing existing ones, and developing oil and gas fields in Pakistan.
Against the backdrop of illegal anti-Russian sanctions, we are cooperating with relevant Pakistani authorities to identify ways to ensure uninterrupted trade between our countries. Our focus is on developing reliable alternative payment mechanisms. Plans to implement pilot barter and exchange operations are under discussion within the framework of the IGC.
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We see potential for cooperation between Islamabad and BRICS and its New Development Bank. Additionally, given the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Armenia, we believe there is potential for engagement with the EAEU as well.
(The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an international organization for regional economic integration established in 2015, comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. It provides a free trade area with a single market, ensuring the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor, aimed at increasing economic competitiveness and cooperation among member states.)
We prioritize humanitarian contacts, educational exchanges, and cultural exchanges. The Russian House in Karachi is doing a good job in this regard. Last year, Russia tripled the number of scholarships for Pakistani students to study at Russian universities, increasing it to 152. The Russian language centers and courses operating in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Sargodha also play an important role.
Additionally, Pakistan participates in the international federal project “Russian Teacher Abroad,” through which Russian teachers are sent to foreign countries at the request of partners to organize long-term teaching programs. We are actively looking into ways to involve Pakistani universities and schools in this project.
The Russian Embassy in Islamabad is making every effort to promote the comprehensive development of bilateral relations. Last November, we helped organize the 10th IGC meeting and related events, including a concert by the Russian folk ensemble “Russia” at the PNCA and the installation of a monument to the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, in Fatima Jinnah Park.
We maintain regular contact with scientific and educational circles in Pakistan and organize events featuring local experts, teachers, and students. On December 18, 2025, we organized a conference at the Embassy dedicated to bilateral relations. Prominent representatives of scientific circles from Islamabad and other cities across the country attended the conference.
We will continue working to realize the full potential of Russia-Pakistan relations.
Thank you for your attention.
