SCO 2027 Summit: National animals of SCO member states

Monitoring Desk: SCO Heads of State Summit at sight in Islamabad in 2027, Pakistan is extensively working to enhance bilateral trade with Russia under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to Izvestia Daily, the prime news hub of Russia while referring to Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russian Federation Syed Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan has identified 28 product categories for barter with Russia that has no direct bank link with Pakistan and is under western sanction almost delink from SWIFT banking system.

According to Izvestia, Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi indicated that Pakistan and Russia are actively developing barter trade: around 28 product categories have already been identified and oil export from may also be among them.

In an exclusive interview with Izvestia, Ambassador talked about mutually beneficial trade relations with Moscow, the prospects for ending the US-Iran war, and international disputes with India. The interview was conducted by Anastasia Kostina and Vladimir Sevryuk from Izvestia.

According to Ambassador Tirmizi, the conflict in the Middle East will be one of the central topics at the upcoming talks between Prime Minister of the Republic Shehbaz Sharif and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin whenever their meeting would be held.

Ambassador Tirmizi stated that Pakistan will make every effort to advance the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Development Bank during its chairmanship of the organisation, which will culminate in the SCO Heads of State Summit in Islamabad in September 2027. He said Pakistan considered the proposed SCO Development Bank an important initiative that could contribute to the economic and social development of the entire region by financing infrastructure projects, social programmes, healthcare and education.

The Pakistani Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi expressed serious concern over the security situation in Afghanistan, saying the country had become a safe haven for extremists and terrorists and that the situation posed a threat not only to Pakistan but also to China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. He maintained that instability in Afghanistan had also affected regional connectivity projects, with transport routes to Central Asia and Iran failing to operate at their full potential.

He said Pakistan would participate in the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan in October and stressed that Islamabad wanted to see a stable Afghan state that became part of the region rather than destabilising neighbouring countries. “If a (legitimate/elected) government emerges in Afghanistan that takes into account the interests of minorities, women and various ethnic groups, Pakistan will gladly support its full membership,” he said.

Ambassador Tirmizi described Russia as a “reliable partner and friend” of Pakistan and said the two countries were regularly exchanging information and intelligence on a wide range of issues, including security.

“There is regular exchange of information and intelligence between our countries on a wide range of issues. We have deep cooperation both at the institutional level and between the leaderships of our two states,” he said.

He expressed confidence that such cooperation would expand further, particularly during Pakistan’s SCO chairmanship.

The ambassador said Pakistan and Russia had enormous potential for expanding bilateral trade, including through barter arrangements, but logistical challenges and the lack of effective payment mechanisms remained major obstacles.

Ambassador Tirmizi was of the opinion that instability in Afghanistan and the conflict involving Iran had affected regional trade routes, making it more difficult to move goods and people.

Tirmizi said around 28 product categories had been identified for potential barter trade beyond food and agricultural products, including sporting goods.

He said Russia had already supplied Pakistan with grain worth approximately $500 million, while Pakistan had recently purchased 10,000 tonnes of Russian soybeans and was considering imports of Russian pulses.

“Once the barter system is fully operational, the list can be expanded,” he said.

The ambassador also confirmed that energy products, including oil, could potentially be included in future barter arrangements.

He stressed the importance of simplifying visa procedures and establishing direct air links between the two countries, saying increased connectivity automatically generated growth in business, tourism and cultural exchanges.

Tirmizi said the number of Russian tourists visiting Pakistan had increased significantly during his tenure, while the number of Pakistanis travelling to Russia had also risen considerably.

Responding a question on the dispute with India over the Indus Waters Treaty, Tirmizi said Pakistan would continue using all mechanisms available under the treaty and international law. He described India’s actions concerning water resources as a “dangerous precedent” and emphasised the importance of water security for Pakistan, where a large portion of the workforce depends on agriculture.

“What India is doing today is a dangerous precedent. Almost 40% of Pakistan’s workforce is employed in agriculture, which means that food security directly depends on water,” he said.

Tirmizi called for restraint between Pakistan and India, particularly because both countries possess nuclear weapons.

“India is a country with a population of 1.5 billion people, while Pakistan is a state with 260 million inhabitants. We are both nuclear powers. We cannot wish each other away — we need to live as civilized neighbours,” he said.

According to him, the SCO could contribute to creating conditions for rebuilding trust between Pakistan and India.

Ambassador Tirmizi said Pakistan remained ready to offer its good offices to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran if both sides were willing to return to negotiations.

He said Pakistan believed that even the most difficult conflicts could not be resolved exclusively on the battlefield and ultimately required negotiations.

“We are always ready to offer our good offices. As soon as both sides are ready to sit down at the negotiating table again, Pakistan will be open to organizing such a dialogue,” he said.

He also said the conflict between the United States and Iran would likely be among the major international issues discussed when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ambassador confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Russia.

“We are now awaiting final confirmation from Moscow and Islamabad. After that, the date will be announced simultaneously by both capitals,” Tirmizi said.

He added that a meeting between the two leaders would cover not only bilateral relations but also major international and regional developments.

On the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ambassador Tirmizi said Pakistan’s primary concern was the restoration of free and safe navigation. He said the number of vessels passing through the strategic waterway had fallen dramatically following the conflict, from around 120–130 vessels a day to only five to seven.

“This is already affecting not only the region, but also the global economy,” he said.

He said it was too early to make a final assessment of the agreement between Iran and Oman concerning safe and coordinated navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. He stressed that the immediate priority was to stop escalation and restore normal maritime traffic. Despite the continuing uncertainty, the ambassador said he remained optimistic about the possibility of a resolution.

“I sincerely hope that by the end of 2026 we will see a certain resolution of this conflict,” he said.