Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Khalid Jamali has confirmed that Pakistan has started the procedure to join the North-South International Transport Corridor project after receiving Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation.

Putin addressed State of the Union last year, inviting Pakistan to shake hands for the International Transport Corridor.

“We are moving in that direction,” the ambassador said.

Pakistan and Russia have developed strong bilateral relations and cooperate closely at international forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the United Nations. Pakistan has requested assistance from Russia to help it join the BRICS group of emerging economies, according to Jamali.

Jamali stated that Pakistan has successfully imported 1 million tons of Russian crude oil and is deeply interested in securing a continuous supply of Russian oil and gas. Agriculture was also identified as a promising sector for increased cooperation between the two countries, as 69% of Pakistan’s population is employed in the agricultural sector.

The ambassador emphasized the restoration of the historic Silk Road trade route, highlighting the successful delivery of Pakistani kinos (a type of citrus fruit) to Dagestan via Iran and Azerbaijan. He stated that this new trade route indicates the potential to significantly increase the trade volume between the two countries, which has already reached $1 billion.

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The ambassador further suggested that with Pakistan’s developed furniture industry and Russia’s abundant timber resources, there are possibilities to explore exports of fine timber from Russia to Pakistan.

Acknowledging Russia’s strong education system, Ambassador Khalid Jamali suggested that education is another important area of cooperation between the two countries. He stated that Pakistani students should be given the opportunity to study in Russian universities.