Pakistan, Russia plan two freight rail corridors, seek wider agricultural cooperation

ISLAMABAD, August 11: Pakistan and Russia are working on plans to establish two bilateral freight rail corridors linking Moscow with Faisalabad and Karachi, while the two countries are also seeking to expand cooperation in agricultural machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, vaccines and livestock health technologies.

Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev said the relevant institutions of both countries are working on launching freight rail services in both directions along the proposed Moscow-Faisalabad and Moscow-Karachi routes. The possibility of involving Belarus in the proposed arrangement is also being considered.

The Russian ambassador said the proposed rail connectivity plans had faced repeated delays due to heightened geopolitical tensions in the region during 2025 and early 2026. The two sides are now working to finalise the necessary agreements and identify commercial entities that could use the corridors for cargo transportation.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain held a meeting with Nikita Bozanov, a representative of Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, to discuss practical areas of agricultural trade and technical cooperation.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said Pakistan wanted to translate its relations with Russia into concrete projects that could increase agricultural productivity, reduce production costs and strengthen food security.

He stressed the need to improve Pakistan’s access to modern agricultural machinery and technology and sought reliable supplies of quality fertilisers and agricultural pesticides from Russia at competitive prices.

The federal minister also called for greater cooperation in livestock and animal health, particularly in the supply of vaccines and modern technologies for disease prevention and control.

The Russian representative said Russian companies and institutions were prepared to explore opportunities to supply Pakistan with agricultural machinery, fertilisers, pesticides and vaccines.

He said Russia was also ready to assess Pakistan’s agricultural requirements and work towards developing effective mechanisms for bilateral cooperation.

The two sides also discussed prospects for increasing bilateral trade in agricultural products and strengthening institutional linkages between the relevant organisations of the two countries.

The federal minister directed the concerned authorities to identify potential areas of cooperation and maintain effective coordination with their Russian counterparts.

Both sides agreed to continue consultations aimed at translating the proposed cooperation into practical trade and development projects.