Pakistan and Russia move technology cooperation from dialogue to deals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia brought their respective technological industries together with the specific goal of converting the mutual confidence between the two governments into business agreements.

The Ministry of IT & Telecommunication’s Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the University of World Civilizations Moscow (UWCM) collaborated to host the third Pakistan-Russia IT Collaboration Webinar.

The event, which took place at the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives in Islamabad and featured Russian speakers from Moscow, was centered around the theme of “Building Technology Partnerships, Market Access, and Joint Solutions.” Rather than holding a large conference, PSEB and UWCM brought together a select group of top businesses and trade associations from both nations, each of which was requested to provide particular skills and business requirements.

Six areas of complementarity between the two industries were discussed: AI and cloud computing; cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection; digital governance and digital public infrastructure; trade, investment, and B2B cooperation; IT and IT-enabled services; digital skills and workforce exchange; and quantum computing.

Addressing the Pakistan–Russia IT Collaboration Webinar as Chief Guest, Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, remarked that technology has become a major force behind Pakistan’s economic development and presented substantial opportunities to strengthen connections between Russia and Pakistan.

The planning minister revealed that one of the five strategic pillars of the nation’s national economic transformation strategy, E-Pakistan, was the goal of creating a $1 trillion economy by 2035.

He emphasised that Pakistan and Russia should move beyond conventional cooperation towards technology-driven partnerships, joint ventures and the development of globally competitive products and digital platforms.

Iqbal highlighted Pakistan’s growing IT talent pool, with more than 75,000 IT graduates annually, the target of developing one million AI professionals by 2030, and the establishment of seven new AI centers to strengthen research, innovation and industry linkages.

The political figure added that NADRA’s digital identity system is internationally recognized and Raast, our instant payment system, processed 646 million transactions in a single quarter, reflecting Pakistan’s growing capabilities in digital innovation and financial technology.

He observed that Russia’s strong scientific and engineering foundations, combined with Pakistan’s skilled human resources and international IT delivery experience, could create mutually beneficial opportunities in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital governance and emerging technologies.

Emphasizing the need to translate dialogue into tangible economic outcomes, he called upon technology companies from both countries to pursue commercially viable partnerships, joint solutions, market access and pilot projects.

He said the real success of the initiative would be measured through increased trade, investment, innovation and employment opportunities, adding that technology could become a defining new chapter in the longstanding Pakistan–Russia partnership.

The ambition is grounded in performance. Pakistan’s IT and telecom exports reached a record USD 4.6 billion in FY2025-26, growth of around 20 percent over the previous year, and the sector is now looking for new markets, new partners and higher-value work.

Ms. Bella Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation , delivered the keynote address from the Russian side on the Pakistan–Russia digital partnership, covering policy, investment and emerging technologies.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, stated, “Pakistan–Russia relations have entered a more mature and multidimensional phase. Technology and digital trade can become a new pillar of our economic partnership, and our Mission in Moscow will work closely with PSEB to open doors for Pakistani companies in the Russian market.”

Mr. Faisal Jeddy, CEO of PSEB, outlined a clear approach from first contact to first contract: define the potential, match the suitable firms, agree on a pilot, and designate named focal persons on both sides. He also presented Pakistan’s IT capabilities and a framework for commercial engagement. “Partnerships rarely fail for lack of intent; they fail for lack of follow-up,” he commented. “That is the gap PSEB intends to close. Every company that engaged today will leave with a defined opportunity, a named counterpart and a clear next step, and PSEB will stay with them until those conversations become contracts.”

defined opportunity, a named counterpart and a clear next step, and PSEB will stay with them until those conversations become contracts.”

The industry sessions that followed turned that framework into specific proposals. In a session moderated by Dr. Roxolana Zigon of UWCM, RUSSOFT President Mr. Valentin Makarov and PASHA Chairman Dr. Shoaib Ahmed Khan discussed connecting the two software industries through structured partnerships and joint delivery, while Dr. Irina Serenko examined the digital economy as a promising sector for collaboration. In a session moderated by Mr. Shahbaz Hameed of PSEB, Mr. Ahrar Naqvi CEO, Ebryx, Mr. Yegor Rykov Regional CEO, Positive Technologies, Mr. Abdul Haseeb Group CEO and MD, TMC and Dr. Alexey Akimov Director, Russian Quantum Center explored co-development in cybersecurity, enterprise software and FinTech, AI, cloud and emerging technologies, with joint delivery in Pakistan, Russia and third-country markets.

Mr. Zarrar Hasham Khan, Secretary, Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, stated the following in his closing remarks, stating, “Today has given us something more valuable than goodwill: a shortlist of concrete opportunities in cybersecurity, enterprise software, AI and cloud, with companies on both sides ready to pursue them. The Ministry’s role now is to remove friction, from market intelligence and regulatory facilitation to visibility for our companies in each other’s markets, so that the first pilot projects can begin without delay. We will review progress with PSEB and our partners regularly, because momentum, once lost, is hard to regain.”