ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia should move beyond untapped trade opportunities and forge strong, result-oriented business partnerships to unlock their immense potential for bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said, emphasizing the need for greater private-sector engagement to translate shared economic interests into tangible commercial gains.
He expressed these views during a meeting with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia at the Chamber House. Highlighting promising avenues for collaboration, the Ambassador identified healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food security, tourism, sports goods and surgical instruments as key sectors offering opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and investment.
Emphasizing practical measures to strengthen commercial ties, Ambassador Tirmizi called for easier visa procedures, direct air connectivity and effective solutions to banking and payment-related challenges. He also discussed preparations for a bilateral business forum, including advance meetings between companies to identify potential partners and develop concrete business proposals. Improved transport connectivity through Iran, Afghanistan and China was also highlighted as an important means of facilitating bilateral trade.
The Ambassador further stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in education, science, engineering and agricultural research through university partnerships and greater student mobility. He highlighted Russian-language teaching, cultural exchanges and collaboration between the media and creative industries as important avenues for promoting mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people relations.
Welcoming the Ambassador, ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia emphasized the need to establish joint ventures between Pakistani and Russian entrepreneurs, particularly in the power, steel and other industrial sectors. He said regular business-to-business meetings and stronger institutional cooperation could help translate bilateral opportunities into viable investment projects, facilitate technology transfer and promote industrial development in both countries.
The ICCI President also called for consistent, long-term economic policies in Pakistan, formulated in consultation with the private sector, particularly the leadership of chambers of commerce and industry. He observed that policy continuity, a predictable regulatory environment and effective government-business coordination were essential to attracting investment, strengthening industrial competitiveness and building sustainable international trade partnerships. Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chattah also stressed the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and practical business cooperation to strengthen economic relations between Pakistan and Russia.
Those present at the meeting included former ICCI President Mohammad Ejaz Abbasi, Council Member Chaudhry Masood, and Executive Committee Members Abbas Hashmi, Shahid Abbasi, Mohammad Nauman, Mohammad Khurshid, Zohaib Arshad Malik and Israr Mishwani, along with other representatives of the business community.
