Islamabad, February 25, 2026: Ahead of the official visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, to Moscow from March 3–5, 2026, the “MEDIA FORUM MOSCOW-ISLAMABAD” is scheduled to convene, offering a key platform to enhance strategic dialogue, media cooperation, and people-to-people engagement between Russia and Pakistan.
The forum builds on the framework established at the First Russia-Pakistan Eurasian Forum, held on December 16–17, 2025, organized jointly by the University of World Civilizations (UWC), Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, and the Consortium for Asia-Pacific and Eurasian Studies (CAPES). That forum laid the groundwork for cooperation on regional stability, economic partnerships, and strategic alignment.
The Moscow-Islamabad Media Forum was conceptualized by Dr. Roxolana Zigon, Director of the Scientific Center for International Research “Diplomacy of the Nations, Partnership of Civilizations” at UWC. The initiative enjoys full support from the Embassy of Pakistan to Russia, with active participation from policymakers, think-tanks, media, and business communities in both countries.
The forum, organized by Rossiya Segodnya Media Group and supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan, UWC, and South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University (SASSI), will be held on February 27, 2026, at Rossiya Segodnya’s Moscow headquarters. Participants include diplomats, international affairs experts, intellectuals, and senior journalists from both countries, including representation from the Associated Press of Pakistan.
The forum’s sessions include:
- “Global Challenges and Perspectives in a Changing World: Moscow and Islamabad Overview” with opening remarks by Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and speeches by Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Mushahid Hussain Syed, and Albert Khorev.
- “Perspectives on Bilateral Relations Development Between Russia and Pakistan” featuring experts such as Dr. Vyacheslav Belokrenitsky (Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS), Dimitri Alexander Simes (Sputnik International), Sergei Strokan (Kommersant), alongside Pakistani experts Dr. Sarwat Rauf (NUML University), Iftikhar Shirazi (Dawn) and Shaukat Piracha (AAJ News).
- “New Trends in International Journalism”, addressing technological, socio-political, and strategic transformations in global media, with speakers including Dr. Roxolana Zigon, Dr. Maria Sultan (Advisor to Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense and Chairperson, SASSI University), Dmitry Leontiev and Artem Chibarov (Rossiya Segodnya), and Pakistani journalists Anas Malick (Asia One) and Amir Ilyas Rana (Express News).
The forum aims to reinforce strategic dialogue, media collaboration, and people-to-people diplomacy at a critical geopolitical juncture, providing a platform for policymakers, media professionals, and experts to strengthen long-term cooperation between Russia and Pakistan.
