ISLAMABAD: The 7th meeting of Pak-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation will be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia from November 24 to 26.
In this regard, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the agenda of the upcoming meeting. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the 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.
It may be mentioned here that Omar Ayub Khan and Minister for Energy of the Russian Federation Nikolay Shulginov are the co-chairs of the IGC. Â
The chair reviewed progress on the decisions of the 6th IGC meeting which was held in Islamabad in December, 2019. He emphasised on enhancing bilateral relations with the Russian Federation as both countries have huge potential for mutual cooperation in various fields.
The participants deliberated on various proposals for cooperation with Russia including trade, customs, energy, industry, agriculture, education, science & technology, transport, and information and communication technology.
Omar Ayub directed the authorities concerned to identify the priorities and prepare comprehensive proposals including scope, action plan, output and outcomes along with timelines.
He expressed that the role of the private sector is significant for enhancing bilateral relations, especially trade and investment.
He also said that regional integration is fundamental for enhancing socio-economic relations in the region. “Regional connectivity can lead to substantial economic gains with Central Asia, Russia and China,” he added.  Â
Earlier, Omar had chaired two meetings on WB-funded projects i.e. Higher Education Development for Pakistan and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC).Â
