ISLAMABAD
\nSenior diplomats and experts from Pakistan and Russia at the Pakistan\u2013Russia Media Forum emphasized strengthening strategic engagement, expanding economic and defence cooperation, and enhancing media collaboration to further consolidate the growing partnership between the two nations.
\nSpeaking from Moscow during the first session of the forum, titled \u201cGlobal Challenges and Perspectives in the Changing World: Overview from Moscow and Islamabad,\u201d Pakistan\u2019s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said the event reflects a deep mutual interest between the intellectuals of both nations. \u201cNotably, the upcoming summit in Moscow will mark the fifth meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Vladimir Putin, highlighting a high level of diplomatic engagement,\u201d he added.
\nHe announced that Pakistan is organizing the Pakistan-Russia Business Forum, with over 100 leading Pakistani companies engaging their Russian counterparts during the Prime Minister\u2019s visit. Highlighting growing bilateral momentum, he emphasized opportunities in education, trade, agriculture, and cultural exchanges, and the importance of strengthening people-to-people contacts.
\n\u201cWe aim to increase Pakistani students in Russia to 13,000 and welcome Russian scholars to Pakistan for academic exchange,\u201d he said. He also noted regular \u2018Druzhba\u2019 military exercises and joint naval drills, reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s commitment to peace, dialogue, and diplomacy to promote regional and global stability.
\nDirector of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said the forum was a good opportunity to promote media cooperation between Russia and Pakistan.
\nIt reflects an innovative vision in the field of information exchange. She noted that information has become a strategic resource and a key dimension for measuring national power and sovereignty, though it presents certain challenges alongside its benefits. She further observed that new forms of hybrid conflicts are emerging, which employ political, economic, and non-military measures rather than conventional military means.
\nShe spoke about the alarming rise in the quantity of fake news, saying it has exceeded all limits. Millions of people are led to believe that nothing significant is happening, as the international media landscape enters a new era.
\nMaria Zakharova criticized the efforts in the past in shaping public opinion prior to military interventions. She questioned how people were deceived nearly 20 years before through media which, she said, resulted in horrible consequences in different parts of the world.
\nShe also expressed solidarity by supporting March 15 as the International Day to combat Islamophobia. She stressed the need to prove who truly represents culture and faith, noting that all doctrines advocate freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
\nHowever, she observed that some countries, despite claiming to uphold these values, fail to notice the contradiction between their principles and actions. She emphasized the importance of working together through dialogue and constructive engagement.
\nChairman Pakistan China Institute and former Parliamentarian Syed Mushahid Hussain appreciated the proactive role of Pakistan\u2019s Ambassador and said that the upcoming visit of the Pakistan Prime Minister to Russia in March is expected to be a landmark event.
\nHighlighting the growing alignment between the two countries, he stressed that Pakistan and Russia share no fundamental conflicts of interest. Drawing on his personal experience dating back to his first visit to the Soviet Union in 1984, he recounted decades of professional and personal linkages with Russian media, including collaborations with outlets such as Russia Today (RT) and sporting news networks.
\nSyed Mushahid Hussain also emphasized the importance of addressing media perception and misinformation. He highlighted persistent double standards in media coverage, pointing to situations such as Palestine, where humanitarian crises are often overshadowed by geopolitical interests.
\nHe advocated for the creation of a new, rules-based international order anchored in inclusivity, equality, international law, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
\n\u201cPakistan and Russia are aligned in this vision,\u201d he said, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts to uphold global norms and implement cooperative solutions to challenges such as climate change, poverty alleviation, and regional security.
\nSyed Mushahid Hussain called for sustained media bridges, strengthened people-to-people connections, and strategic cooperation to advance Pakistan \u2013 Russia relations and promote a stable, prosperous, and multipolar global order.
\nAmbassador of the Russian Federation to Pakistan, Albert Khorev, highlighted the expanding partnership between Islamabad and Moscow, emphasizing public diplomacy, people-to-people engagement, and strengthened strategic collaboration in the Eurasian region.
\nAmbassador Khorev highlighted Russia\u2019s proactive engagement since 2010, which has accelerated closer cooperation across various sectors, including diplomacy, media, and cultural exchanges.
\nHe commended Pakistan for tackling security challenges and contributing to regional stability despite border escalations with Afghanistan and ongoing terrorism threats, and praised its responsible management of conflicts, including the recent incident with India, which avoided escalation between two nuclear powers.
\nLooking ahead, he stressed the importance of expanding bilateral collaboration through trade, technological cooperation, business engagement, and public diplomacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Senior diplomats and experts from Pakistan and Russia at the Pakistan\u2013Russia Media Forum emphasized strengthening strategic engagement, expanding economic and defence cooperation, and enhancing media collaboration to further consolidate the growing partnership between the two nations. Speaking from Moscow during the first session of the forum, titled \u201cGlobal Challenges and Perspectives in the Changing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-534088","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n