By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: In a significant development on regional connectivity, Pakistan and Russia have agreed to collaborate on establishing a robust rail and road network to link Pakistan with Central Asia and Russia, providing landlocked states direct access to warm waters through Pakistan.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Russian Federation’s Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial conference in Tianjin, China.
The two leaders emphasised accelerating infrastructure development across the region to facilitate trade and economic integration. The initiative aims to transform Pakistan into a strategic transit hub by enhancing trade corridors and logistical routes extending to Russia and Central Asia.
Highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing modernisation efforts, Federal Minister Khan said the country is digitising its transport infrastructure, introducing barrier-free motorways, mandatory e-tagging, and comprehensive CCTV surveillance. He stated that these reforms are part of Pakistan’s broader goal to optimise regional connectivity and cross-border trade.
Deputy Minister Nikitin acknowledged the potential of Pakistan-Russia cooperation in transforming regional trade dynamics and reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to pursuing joint transport and infrastructure projects with Pakistan. The meeting also included discussions on the broader objectives of the SCO conference. It is noteworthy that the Pakistani delegation led by Khan actively participated in the three-day SCO event in Tianjin. Chinese Minister of Transport Liu Wei also welcomed the Pakistani delegation.
The delegation members also engaged with multiple counterparts from member states. In his address, Minister Khan elaborated on Pakistan’s communication sector reforms, increased revenue from the National Highway Authority and motorways over the past 15 months, and strategic plans to enhance land links through China and Afghanistan.
The Pakistani delegation, including the federal secretary for communications and other senior officials, underscored Islamabad’s commitment to prioritising transportation as a key enabler for regional trade growth.
Earlier, Russia seeks to double the volume of its bilateral trade with Pakistan, Russian Consul-General Andrey V. Federov said this week, amid a thaw in Moscow-Islamabad ties.
Russia and Pakistan, once Cold War rivals, have strengthened ties in recent years, with Islamabad purchasing discounted Russian crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas in 2023 and Moscow now planning to build a new steel mill in Karachi.
The two countries traded goods and services worth $236 million from July 2024 till May 2025, compared with $1.04 billion in the same period last year, according to Pakistani central bank data. The volume of their trade rose more than 100 percent to $1.81 billion from July 2023 till June 2024, when Pakistan was facing dollar shortages and imported discounted crude oil from Russia, marking a shift from its traditional reliance on Middle Eastern suppliers.
