ISLAMABAD, Feb 28 (APP): The First Pakistan –Russia Media Forum was held via video conference to promote mutual understanding and deepen bilateral engagement.
Jointly organised by Rossiya Segodnya (RT), Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the University of World Civilizations (Russia), and SASSI University (Pakistan), the forum coincided with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming March 2026 visit to Moscow.
The event featured three sessions and a distinguished panel of diplomats, scholars, and media experts from both countries who discussed the deepening partnership between the two countries.
Director General External Publicity Wing Raisa Adil, Deputy Director Ayesha, senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Pakistan, Executive Director (News) APP Muhammad Usman Khan Kakarr and Director International and Global Affairs Syed Kashif Rizvi attended from Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said the forum reflected growing intellectual engagement and noted the upcoming fifth meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Vladimir Putin.
He announced a Pakistan–Russia Business Forum with participation of over 100 Pakistani companies and highlighted cooperation in education, agriculture, trade, culture, and defence, including Druzhba military exercises. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability, and set a target of increasing Pakistani students in Russia to 13,000.
Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova termed the forum an innovative step in media cooperation.
She warned of rising fake news, hybrid conflicts, and manipulation of public opinion, recalling past media narratives preceding military interventions.
She supported March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and stressed dialogue and constructive engagement.
Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, Syed Mushahid Hussain, called the Prime Minister’s visit a landmark moment. He said Pakistan and Russia share no fundamental conflicts and advocated a multipolar, inclusive world order based on UN principles.
Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev described both countries as natural Eurasian partners. He praised Pakistan’s responsible handling of tensions with India and its counterterrorism efforts.
He emphasised expanding trade, technology, public diplomacy, SCO coordination, disaster management cooperation, and transport corridors, including the North – South International Transport Corridor.
Former Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry noted steady progress in ties since the early 2000s across defence, energy and connectivity.
Geopolitical analyst and expert in diplomacy and international relations, Dr Roxolana Zigon, said the forum marked a “new era” despite Cold War legacies, highlighting Pakistan’s strategic restraint and growing diplomatic influence.
Head of the Department of International Relations at NUML, Ms Sarwat Rauf, noted a visible thaw in bilateral relations and stressed the importance of academic and intellectual exchanges in strengthening long-term cooperation.
Chairperson Council of Complaints Dr Syed Muhammad Ali, discussed emerging cooperation sectors, identified 14 challenges, and proposed solutions.
Senior journalist Almas Haider Naqvi termed the forum timely, citing cooperation in energy, defence, counterterrorism, and SCO engagement. Analyst Shaukat Piracha described the Prime Minister’s visit as highly significant, recalling Russia’s support for Pakistan on key issues.
From the Russian media side, RT’s Executive Content Producer Dmitry Leontiev stressed safeguarding national interests in reporting. Mateen Haider of We News English called for objectivity and criticised biased portrayals of Pakistan.
Dimitri Simes Jr., Head of Sputnik International, announced plans for Urdu programming and offered reciprocal cooperation. A counsellor at Rossiya Segodnya expressed readiness for immediate collaboration and optimism about growing public interest.
Asia One Bureau Chief Anas Malik highlighted scholarship opportunities, while Dr Maria Sultan, Chairperson of SASSI University and adviser to Pakistan’s Defence Ministry, stressed the media’s role in bridging trust gaps.
She called for institutionalised dialogue, financial frameworks, progress on the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline, and enhanced scholarships and exchanges.
Concluding that durable cooperation requires people-to-people engagement, participants agreed that sustained media collaboration can counter misperceptions and open a new chapter in Pakistan – Russia relations.