ISLAMABAD: Russia and Pakistan discussed plans to modernize a major steel complex and expand industrial cooperation during a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the INNOPROM Annual Industrial Forum in Yekaterinburg, state media reported on Tuesday.
The meeting between Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Industries and Production, and Russian Trade and Industry Minister Anton Alikhanov focused on reviving Pakistan’s dormant steel industry and enhancing bilateral trade.
INNOPROM is Russia’s largest annual industrial trade fair, bringing together government delegations, business leaders and technology firms from over 30 countries to explore partnerships in manufacturing, engineering and high-tech industries.
“Both sides reviewed technical aspects of modernizing the Pakistan Steel Mills to establish a cutting-edge metallurgical facility,” Pakistan Television (PTV) reported. “The discussions also explored ways to enhance trade ties and promote industrial collaboration between the two countries.”
Earlier this month, Russian Consul-General Andrey B. Fedorov told Arab News Moscow expected to finalize an agreement with Islamabad this summer to construct a new steel mill in Karachi.
The original Pakistan Steel Mills, once the country’s flagship industrial complex, was built in the 1970s with Soviet assistance. While it symbolized national self-sufficiency, the mill has been non-operational since 2015 due to years of financial mismanagement, political interference and mounting losses.
Technical experts from Russia have already inspected the proposed site for the new facility, and another delegation is expected soon to draft a detailed roadmap.
Russia has a long history of industrial cooperation with Pakistan, having previously built key infrastructure projects such as the Guddu Power Station in Sindh in the 1980s, one of the country’s major electricity producers.
Moscow and Islamabad have expanded cooperation in recent years despite global tensions over the war in Ukraine.
