Pakistan and Russia to hold the 7th Meeting of Inter-Government Commission on 24 – 26 November, 2021 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Islamabad: November 11, 2021

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Mr. Omar Ayub Khan chaired a high-level meeting to discuss agenda of the upcoming meeting of Pakistan-Russia Inter-Government Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific & Technical Cooperation. The 7th Meeting of Pak-Russia IGC will be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia on 24 – 26 November, 2021. Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Pakistan and Mr. Nikolay Shulginov, Minister for Energy of the Russian Federation are the co-chairs of Inter-Government Commission. The meeting was attended by the representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication, Ministry of National Food Security & Research and other relevant departments. The Chair reviewed progress on the decisions of the 6th IGC Meeting which was held in Islamabad in December 2019. The Minister for Economic Affairs emphasized on enhancing bilateral relations with Russian Federation as both countries have huge potential for mutual cooperation in various fields. The participants deliberated on the various proposals for cooperation with Russia including Trade, Customs, Energy, Industry, Agriculture, Education, Science & Technology, Transport and Information & Communication Technology. The Minister expressed that the role of private sector is significant for enhancing bilateral relations, especially trade and investment. The Minister hoped that Pakistan and Russia would have very constructive and positive dialogue for enhancing bilateral relationships during the upcoming IGC meeting. The Minister directed to identify the priorities and prepare comprehensive proposals including scope, action plan, output and outcomes along with timelines. The Minister expressed that regional integration is fundamental for enhancing socioeconomic relations in the region. Regional connectivity can lead to substantial economic gains with Central Asia, Russia & China, he added. Earlier, Minister for Economic Affairs also chaired two meetings on WB-funded projects i.e. Higher Education Development for Pakistan and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC). The objective of Higher Education Development Project for Pakistan is to support research excellence in strategic sectors of the economy, improve teaching and learning and strengthen governance, in the higher education sector. Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director, Higher Education Commission brief the Minister on progress of the project. The Minister also reviewed the progress on Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC) Project and directed the National Highway Authority and the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to expedite its designing and contract award on fast track basis.