MOSCOW, FEB 25: /DNA/ – The Moscow—Islamabad Media Forum will be held on February 27, 2026, to coincide with the official visit of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, H.E. Shehbaz Sharif, to Moscow, scheduled for the first week of March 2026.

The forum will serve as a platform for journalists, political experts, and diplomats from Pakistan and Russia to discuss the current state of bilateral relations, explore future opportunities, and analyze how the Russia-Pakistan partnership impacts global politics, the economy, and the media landscape today.

Distinguished Speakers:

In Moscow:

11:00 – 12:30 (MSK)

Session I. «Global Challenges and Perspectives in the Changing World: Overview from Moscow and Islamabad»

Moderator in Moscow:

Peter Lidov, Counselor, Rossiya Segodnya Media Group

Moderator in Islamabad:

Agha Iqrar Haroon, an international award winning journalist, analyst and political scientist, Chief Editor DND News Agency Islamabad

Speakers in Moscow:

− Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

− Dr. Roxolana Zigón, geopolitical analyst, expert in diplomacy and international relations, head of the Scientific Center of the International and Strategic Studies «diplomacy of the nations, partnership of civilizations», University of World

Civilizations; founder & host of the FOREIGN POLICY PUBLIC FORUM «Diplomat speaks », honorary member of the Advisory Board of the Consortium for Asia Pacific & Eurasian Studies (CAPES), Islamabad, Pakistan; founder of the Russia-Pakistan Eurasian Forum (est. 2025), political observer of the TV «Zvezda» (Russia), PTV (Pakistan), SUNO TV (Pakistan), writer

Speakers in Islamabad:

− Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator, Chair of the Committee on Defense and Security, Senate of Pakistan

− H.E. Mr. Albert Khorev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan – video address

12:40 – 14:00 (MSK)

Session II. «The Perspectives of the Bilateral Relations Development Between Russia and Pakistan»

Moderator in Moscow:

Peter Lidov-Petrovsky, Counselor, Rossiya Segodnya Media Group

Moderator in Islamabad:

Almas Haider Naqvi, senior journalist, Dunya News Group as Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Correspondent, awarded by Aghahi Awards in 2026

Speakers in Moscow:

− H.E. Mr. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Russian Federation

− Dr. Irina Serenko, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)

− Sergei Strokan, Moscow-based geopolitical analyst and observer, Russia’s “Kommersant” Publishing House

Speakers in Islamabad:

− Dr. Ms. Sarwat Rauf, Head, Department of International Relations, National University of Modern Languages (NUML)

− Mr. Iftikhar Shirazi, Bureau Chief, Dawn

− Mr. Shaukat Piracha, a senior journalist, anchor and News analyst, a special correspondent for foreign and diplomatic affairs, AAJ News

14:10 – 15:30 (MSK)

Session III. «New Trends in the International Journalism»

Moderator in Moscow:

Peter Lidov-Petrovsky, Counselor, Rossiya Segodnya Media Group

Moderator in Islamabad:

Ms. Tanzeela Mazhar, journalist, public speaker, head of programming at GTV and host the prime time talk show «News Today with Tanzeela Mazhar»

Speakers in Moscow:

− Dimitri Alexander Simes, Head, Sputnik International, Rossiya Segodnya Media Group

− Dmitry Leontiev, Executive content producer, RT

− Artyom Chibarov, Head of online projects, Rossiya SegodnyaMedia Group

Speakers in Islamabad:

− Mateen Haider, Journalist/Anchor/Analyst with focus on defense, foreign affairs, Associated Press of Pakistan

− Dr Maria Sultan, advisor to Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense on Strategic and Military Affairs, Chairperson, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University, Pakistan

− Mr. Anas Malick, Bureau Chief, Asia One

− Amir Ilyas Rana, Bureau Chief, Express News