The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Russian Federation, H.E. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, participated today in the Moscow—Islamabad Media Forum.

Ambassador Tirmizi joined a distinguished panel of diplomats, scholars, and media experts from Pakistan and Russia to discuss the deepening partnership between the two countries. The event was timed to coincide with the upcoming official visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, to Moscow in March 2026.

“Pakistan and Russia enjoy a long-standing, multidimensional relationship,” said the Ambassador in his address. “We share geography, history, cuisine, and linguistic roots. Pakistan is a part of Eurasian land.”

The Ambassador noted that the Forum demonstrates a deep mutual interest between the two nations' intellectuals. "Notably, the upcoming summit in Moscow will mark the fifth meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Vladimir Putin, signaling a high level of diplomatic engagement," he added.

Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi further announced that Pakistan is organizing the Pakistan-Russia Business Forum, with over 100 leading Pakistani companies arriving to interact with their Russian counterparts, as part of the Prime Minister’s visit to Russia.

The Ambassador emphasized that Pakistan is committed to strengthening bilateral relations through people-to-people, cultural, and educational exchanges. “Our goal is to increase the number of Pakistani students studying in Russia to 13,000. We want our students to view Russia as a premier cultural, educational, and historical destination. Furthermore, I would be delighted to see Russian scholars and students visiting Pakistan to foster academic exchange,” the Ambassador stated.

The Ambassador also highlighted the consistency of the bilateral defense ties, specifically mentioning the regular 'Druzhba' military exercises and joint naval drills, which underscore the growing security partnership.

"The time has come to take this relationship to the next level," concluded the Ambassador.

The forum was jointly organized by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the University of World Civilizations (UWC) in Russia, and the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University (SASSI) in Pakistan.

The Forum was also addressed by Ms. Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator and Chair of the Committee on Defense and Security, Senate of Pakistan; Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI); H.E. Mr. Albert Khorev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Pakistan (via video address), and other prominent speakers.