Monitoring Desk: In a wide-ranging interview with RTVI, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, confirmed that Pakistan-Russian relations are reshaping up and both the countries together would play for global peace. Interview was broadcast on April 10, 2026.
Speaking to journalist Ekaterina Zabrodina, the ambassador Tirmizi emphasized Pakistan’s role as a neutral mediator, citing its longstanding diplomatic ties with both Tehran and Washington. He described the country as an “honest broker” committed to de-escalation in a conflict that risks global consequences.
“Any escalation would not only affect the region but the entire world,” he said, noting the Gulf’s role in supplying roughly 22% of global energy and hosting millions of foreign workers, including Pakistanis.
Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
The ambassador revealed that Islamabad played a key role in reducing tensions, including advising U.S. leadership against military escalation. He noted that Pakistan warned that any attempt to invade Iran would have “disastrous consequences” for global stability. Tirmizi also confirmed close coordination with Russia throughout the crisis, including diplomatic engagement at multiple levels and alignment at the United Nations.
Ambassador Tirmizi said that Pakistan supports a comprehensive ceasefire across the region, including in Lebanon and Yemen, arguing that localized conflicts could undermine broader negotiations.
“In war there are no winners,” Tirmizi said. “Both sides lose, and civilians suffer the most.”
Addressing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador expressed hope for unrestricted maritime transit, though he acknowledged ongoing discussions about possible transit fees.
He also noted that Pakistan is in talks with Russia to secure long-term energy supplies amid ongoing shortages, highlighting the strategic importance of stable oil flows.
Tirmizi confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s postponed visit to Moscow is now expected in June, where he is likely to meet President Vladimir Putin.
The ambassador described bilateral relations as expanding across energy, defense, and education sectors. Joint military exercises and student exchanges are also set to increase, with Pakistan aiming to significantly boost the number of its students in Russia.
On security issues, Tirmizi warned of the continued threat posed by extremist groups operating in Afghanistan, including ISIS-affiliated factions. He stressed the importance of regional cooperation, particularly through platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. While cautious about predicting outcomes, Tirmizi said Pakistan considers the mere start of negotiations a success. He expressed hope that both sides would reach a lasting settlement, noting that renewed conflict would be difficult after the current de-escalation.
“Peace should be given a chance,” he said.
Hereunder is Transcription of his interview
EN: Good afternoon. This is a Special interview program, and I am its host, Ekaterina Zabrodina. And today our guest is the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.
Mr. Ambassador, good evening. Thank you for coming. Of course, all attention is now focused on the upcoming negotiations in Pakistan between Iran and the United States. But everything is very fragile, and there are many different signals coming. What is known from Islamabad by this hour – will the negotiations take place on Saturday, April 11? Haven’t they been canceled?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, Pakistan is fully prepared to host the most important negotiations in a very long time. And Pakistan has been an honest broker between Iran as well as the United States throughout this conflict. Pakistan has a unique position — it enjoys very close and cordial relationship with both capitals. And right from the start, when this conflict started, Pakistan has made its earnest efforts to ensure that there is peace, prosperity and amenity in the region. So we are looking forward, fully prepared. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, as well as the military chief, the field marshal, are fully involved in the whole process, because we believe that not only 22 percent of the global energy supply comes from the Gulf, but also a lot of people — for instance, 6 million Pakistanis are working there. Around 10 million Indians are working there. Around 5 million Bengalis are working there. So this is something very important, that we have to ensure that there is peace. Pakistan has been an earnest player to make sure that there is no further escalation, because we believe that any further escalation of conflict in the region would not only impact the countries of the region — Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman — but also the whole world. It will have a global impact. And Pakistan, as a country, has always played its part in ending conflicts around the world. We are the largest contributor to the U.N. Peacekeepers. And our diplomats have always played a historical role in ending conflicts in different parts of the world. So I’m very happy that Pakistan has again taken a lead as an agent of peace and cooperation.
EN: And the White House has already announced that J.D. Vance, Vice President, as the head of the delegation, is taking off soon, or maybe has already taken off, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But there are different messages about the Iranian delegation. For example, the Wall Street Journal wrote yesterday that the delegation has already arrived. But then the Iranian Tasnim Agency didn’t confirm that. So, according to what you know — do you know when the Iranian delegation should come, and didn’t they change their mind to come?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: No, no, they are coming. As per my reports, both the Iranian and the U.S. delegations are coming to Pakistan. And of course, because the Iranians had conveyed their concerns — they said that the last two times, when they were in intense negotiation, unfortunately Iran was attacked, and unfortunately the negotiators who were involved in negotiations were assassinated in those attacks. So Iran had a genuine concern, and that we have conveyed to the U.S., because, as diplomats, we have to ensure that the negotiators who are involved in the whole process have a sanctity as per the international norms of diplomacy. So as per my reports, both parties are coming.
EN: Today?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes, today, tonight. And, of course, Pakistan is fully prepared for these landmark negotiations, because both the U.S. and Iran are two great countries in their respective spheres. And Pakistan has that unique opportunity that it has close personal relations and diplomatic relations with both sides. Not many people are aware that the Pakistani ambassador in Washington is also the Iranian ambassador in Washington. The Iranian embassy in Washington flies the Pakistani flag. So that shows the kind of understanding that we have with Iran and the kind of understanding we have with the U.S. as well. And Pakistan had historically also played a role in bringing the Chinese and the Americans together. So we are honest brokers. Wherever there is an issue, Pakistani diplomacy always takes a front line. Pakistani diplomacy played a role in the independence of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Bosnia, and it has always played a role in the Afghan peace process. So we are an honest broker for peace, instead of war.
EN: Everyone expected further escalation, and Donald Trump had already promised that “the whole civilization would die at night.” But that evening, Donald Trump announced that after talks with Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he had changed his mind and was ready to negotiate. How did you manage handle it?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: You know, Pakistan is part of the region. Both Iran and all the Gulf countries — Pakistan is part of it. We understand the history. We understand the culture, and we understand the politics. Pakistan was absolutely clear that it is not possible to conquer a country of 90 million people with 6,000 years of civilization behind it. This was advice that we had given to the Americans when they were going into Afghanistan as well. And this was our advice to the Americans this time as well — that this conflict cannot be won through aerial bombardment alone. And any attempt to put boots on the ground could have disastrous consequences for the whole world. So, thank God, because America also considers us as an honest broker, and so does Iran. And we have played a role on both sides, because at times when the conflict escalated, we asked the Iranians to step back, because we thought that any more escalation would add to the whole conflict. And we were happy to play a role on both sides. And we asked President Trump as well that it’s easier said than done to conquer a country of 90 million, with 1.8 million square kilometers of land, with deserts, with mountains. It would not be an easy task, and it will only destabilize the whole global peace and economic and financial infrastructure. So I am so happy that both sides, despite everything, listened to our genuine advice — please stop it — because you always believe ultimately all conflicts are decided on the negotiating table. And thank God both sides are meeting. And we wish both sides all the best to ensure that there is a result-oriented, lasting peace in the region.
EN: Mr. Ambassador, I would like to be precise — is it right that it’s expected that the Iranian delegation will be headed by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Parliament, and Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign minister of Iran?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: That’s correct. That’s what, as per our information, the Iranian delegation would be led by the speaker [of Parliament], as well as the foreign minister of Iran.
EN: So the White House didn’t specify whether the negotiations will be direct, face to face, or the delegations will be in different chambers — like I’ve read in Al Jazeera, for example. Do you have any information about that?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, frankly, we would appreciate if the two sides talked to each other. But for Pakistan, the important thing was to have a ceasefire and to bring both sides to the negotiating table. So, we have kept it open. Our earnest desire would be that they should talk to each other. But if they want to talk through us, that’s also possible. So, Pakistan is open to all formats. But for us, the most important thing was the initiation of dialogue and the cessation of hostilities.
EN: And Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, these days, he was calling Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, and he thanked them for their contribution to the negotiations, to settlement. And also, Donald Trump even mentioned China — it was maybe unexpected. But does Pakistan know anything about what was Russia’s role, if there was any, in this process?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: We were always in close coordination with Russia — both in Islamabad, New York and in Moscow. In fact, I had three high-level meetings with three deputy foreign ministers in the last two weeks. And, of course, our permanent missions in New York — because Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the Security Council — so they were in close contact in New York, in Geneva, as well as in Vienna. So there was close coordination between Pakistan and the Russian delegations at all levels. And of course, if you see the voting pattern in the U.N. Security Council, Pakistan’s voting pattern says it for itself. We had very close coordination with the Russians. We always accept that Russia is a great power — it’s a permanent member of the Security Council, and it can play a great role in reaching peace, because Russia has good relations with Iran, and also good relations with Israel. So we asked the Russians to try to convince the Israeli side that any conflict would ultimately have a serious impact on Israel itself. So, the channels of communication between Russia and Pakistan were open throughout this conflict.
EN: There is one delicate issue. There are now many statements in Iran on behalf of the new Supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the murdered Ali Khamenei. However, he has never appeared in public since he was elected, which has generated a lot of rumors. For example, most recently, The Times newspaper wrote that Khamenei was very seriously injured and allegedly unconscious in the city of Qom. Does Pakistan have any information about the health status of Iran’s new Supreme leader?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: As per our reports, he was also injured in that attack, because he was with his father, his family, unfortunately. And that’s what I’ve heard — he’s getting better. We have great respect for him, because his father had a lot of respect all over the world and in Pakistan. So we wish him a full recovery. His father played a role in Iran for a very long time — first as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and then as the Supreme leader, Ayatollah, of the Shia maslak of Islam. And he was greatly respected. So we wish him all the health and early recovery. And I hope he would continue the role played by his father in bringing more friendship and amenity amongst all countries of the region.
EN: Mr. Ambassador, when we come to the negotiations — Trump said, firstly unexpectedly, that he was also ready to take the 10-point plan from the Iranian side as a basis. And Pakistan confirmed that. But later the press secretary of the White House said the 10-point plan has nothing to do with reality, and — I quote — it “was put into the trash.” So do you have any understanding of what was on the table of Donald Trump?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: You know, whenever you start negotiations in any conflict — unfortunately, I have been involved in negotiations with India, as well — you come up with maximalist positions. Iran came with a maximalist position. Americans came with a maximalist position. And we thought, once they sit down together, they will come to an understanding which is acceptable to both sides. The starts are always at the most extreme ends. But that’s what we thought — that it’s better for two sides to sit across the table with each other and start threshing out. The most important thing for us was the cessation of conflict, because, you know, it hurts common people on the streets. It hurts critical infrastructure. It hurts energy infrastructure. And ultimately, all parties in the conflict suffer, and civilians are the maximum losers. So we are very glad that despite the stiff demands from both sides, at least they have agreed for a cessation and decided to start negotiations.
EN: There is another fundamental point that has given rise to different interpretations and controversies. Iran insists that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was included in the ceasefire deal, and Pakistan has also confirmed this. Many countries, such as Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, also joined forces here and called for this. At the same time, Donald Trump said that Lebanon was not part of the deal because «Israel has problems with Hezbollah». So what about Lebanon? Was it originally part of the plan?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes, that’s what our understanding was — that it would be a complete cessation of hostilities all across the region: in Iran, in the Gulf, in Yemen, as well as Lebanon, because our understanding was that if there is conflict in one part, it can have an impact on the main negotiations. And I am very happy that the whole world, including Russia and the European Union, is with Pakistan and with all countries saying: please stop, because in terms of numbers, the highest number of casualties has been in Lebanon — almost 1,400 to 1,500 civilians mostly. And, you know, that’s what happens in all conflicts. It’s not the combatants that die. It’s innocent civilians, including women and children, who are dying. So that’s what Pakistan believes — we must end the conflict, because it’s very easy to start a conflict, but it’s always difficult to end it, and then it spirals. So we appreciate that Pakistan, the European Union, Russia, China — everyone wants the complete cessation of hostilities all across the region, to create an environment for real dialogue between Iran and the United States.
EN: By the way, both sides — Iran and the United States — announced that they have won in this war conflict. So, from the Pakistani side: who won?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: You know, I strongly believe — as someone who has dealt with this profession — in war there are no winners. They are both losers. But I hope the best outcome would be peace. Pakistan as an honest broker does not believe that Iran has won or the U.S. has won. We as an honest broker believe that peace should be given a chance. Because if the U.S. and Iran had continued fighting, had it escalated, it could have triggered a Third World War, because had the main infrastructure of Iran been attacked, Iran would have attacked in the Gulf, and that would have had serious repercussions. So, ultimately, the world would have been the loser. In war, there are no winners — there are only losers. I believe the general desire on the part of Pakistan is that both sides should sit down and work for a lasting peace.
EN: And do you know whether some draft of a written ceasefire agreement has been prepared?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: I’m sure the drafts are always there. But that’s how it starts — with draft proposals. Once people sit down, then the drafts start taking shape. So I believe a joint draft will emerge from the two proposals given by Iran and the U.S., and ultimately they will reach an understanding. I am pretty hopeful.
EN: Of course, there is no sense in making any forecasts so far. But from the Pakistani point of view, what could be considered a success of these negotiations on this stage?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: You know, our job is to always be an optimist. But you can always see negotiations break down. Pakistan has been involved in a number of peace processes with a number of countries. It is a frustrating thing — you make progress, and there are times you don’t make progress. But the important thing is to start. So Pakistan takes a lot of pride that at least it has been able to convince the two main parties in this conflict to sit down and negotiate. We hope for a settlement, but there’s a possibility that it may not achieve the result. But I strongly believe it will be difficult to start the conflict once again, because I think both parties have realized the futility of this war.
EN: The Strait of Hormuz is one of the main problems. Iran is still partially blocking it, and the Iranian Tasnim news agency has even published a map indicating safe passage zones for ships and areas where there may be sea mines. Donald Trump insists that the strait must be unblocked. On the other hand, it is reported that Iran is going to charge a fee for the passage of ships through the strait. At the same time, Trump had an exotic idea — to take this fee jointly with Iran, for example, to create a joint venture. How does Pakistan, for its part, view the management of the Strait of Hormuz?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, I hope we reach an understanding where there is easy transit. But let’s see, because there’s a proposal that Iran and Oman will charge a fee, as they do in the Suez Canal. Our earnest desire will be that it should be a free passage for everyone. But of course, only time will tell, because that’s a choke point. And I think it’s a revisit of the 1956 history, when Egypt had nationalized the Suez Canal. So, we are re-witnessing history in today’s world. But we strongly believe that if there is a negotiated settlement, I hope it will be free transit for all the countries of the world.
EN: And by the way, Pakistan and Russia both managed to make a deal with Tehran, and their their vessels can pass freely. But do they have to pay for this, or is it free?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: As far as I understand, China, Pakistan and Russia — all our vessels are passing through without paying the fee. That’s my understanding.
EN: Mr. Ambassador, because of this war in the Middle East, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif postponed his visit to Russia. Do you know the new date? Maybe it’s already agreed?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes. You know, it was unfortunate. The Prime Minister was coming till the last moment. But when the Iranian Supreme Leader was unfortunately assassinated, we had to call off the visit. So we are working on the dates, and hopefully by June the prime minister will be here, because he was really looking forward to this historic visit. The Prime Minister has been coming to the Soviet Union and Russia since the ’70s and ’60s. He had three or four meetings with President Putin — in China and in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. So he was really looking forward to this visit. We had prepared all the texts. Everything was prepared. But unfortunately, when the Iranian Supreme Leader was killed, he had to hold it back. So we are working for the visit in June. And the Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting President Putin, because he has a lot of respect for him — he considers Putin to be a voice of wisdom and a great statesman of global affairs. So, the Prime Minister is looking forward to the visit. Hopefully, this conflict will be over soon, and the Prime Minister will be able to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg.
EN: June is a good time for it. And does Russian President Putin have an invitation to visit Pakistan?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes, always.
EN: But the visit is not yet being prepared?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Probably we’ll work on that as well, because hopefully after the visit of the prime minister, President Putin will pay a return visit. And President Putin is very widely respected in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan — if you look at the press — see him as a statesman in the country.
EN: And because of all this situation, we know that Pakistan has a kind of energy crisis. The Ministry of Finance of Pakistan recently announced, on the 6th of April, that the oil reserves were sufficient for only 12 days, and now, when we are talking — it’s the 10th of April — so only eight days are left if nothing has changed. So, can Russia help Pakistan in this situation somehow?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Of course, we are getting oil from the Gulf now, and we are in talks with the Russians as well, because we received one consignment in 2023, and we are still in negotiations with the Russians regularly. And that would be something very important for Pakistan and the Russian Federation.
EN: As far as I know, in 2023 the first tanker with Russian oil arrived at the port of Karachi as a pilot supply. But since then, did Pakistan buy any Russian oil?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: I’m not very up to date on it, but I think we did.
EN: But it’s not something like constant supplies?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: That’s what we’re working on. I will be meeting some people — the Deputy Minister — on Monday. So we are negotiating with the Russian side.
EN: So does Pakistan have any interest in concluding a long-term contract?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes, of course. We would like to have that with the Russians, for sure.
EN: Could Western sanctions against Russia become an obstacle to such a deal and hinder trade?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, you know, some Russian companies have issues with the sanctions, but we are trying to deal with those issues which don’t fall within the sanctions. That’s what is our desire. And we always believe that Russia is a superpower — both in terms of economy, energy and military. So Pakistan has always had very close interaction with Russians, especially in the last 10 to 15 years. We coordinate our position also in energy. We have regular military exercises with Russia. We have regular contacts at all levels with Russia. So Pakistan is engaged with Russia at all levels.
EN: EN: By the way, what currency is traded in between the two countries?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Of course, we can’t trade in U.S. dollars, so we have to go for non-U.S. dollar currencies when we’re dealing with Russia.
EN: I also read that Russia was among the countries that helped Pakistan with loans. But an unusual situation has arisen there: due to Western sanctions, Pakistan cannot pay its debt to Russia in US dollars. Therefore, the Russian government extended the payment schedule until 2027 and replaced dollars with Chinese yuan or Russian rubles. Is that true?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: No, I don’t think so. We don’t have any outstanding debts with Russia anymore. We had some, but we have settled all the debts with Russia. We don’t have any debts with Russia at present, as per my information.
EN: I understand, because such data was provided in 2023. At the same time, in 2023, Pakistan applied to join the BRICS, but the country has not yet become a member of the BRICS. Pakistan didn’t change its mind about joining BRICS?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: I strongly believe that Pakistan belongs in BRICS. We are already part of the SCO. Unfortunately, there is an objection from one country which does not wish us to be part of BRICS. But that’s what I tell them — India, Pakistan, and Russia are all part of the same geography and region. So it’s better that India should include Pakistan. Pakistan’s diplomatic and political stature has risen significantly in the last few years because of its role as a peacemaker and as a proponent of negotiated settlement. So I hope Russia understands our position. China wants us to be part of BRICS. Brazil wants us to be part of BRICS. South Africa wants us to be part of BRICS. Only India has a reservation. And I hope the Indian government takes a fresh look at Pakistan’s candidature, because Pakistan brings a lot of strength — as a middle power that has emerged lately, with political power, military power, and now a lot of diplomatic clout. So if Pakistan is part of the group, everyone will gain from it, including India.
EN: By the way, in 2025 Pakistan concluded a trade agreement with the United States, which is very profitable for Pakistan. And we also remember that Donald Trump was threatening BRICS members with tariffs. So in that context, Pakistan didn’t change its mind?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: No, no. We never change our minds. We are a country that makes its own decisions. You have seen it in the Security Council, and you’ve seen it in politics.
EN: And you mentioned military exercises. Do you mean «Druzhba» («Friendship») exercises, the counterterrorism exercises?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
Yes, that’s correct.
As far as I know, they’ve been taking place for 10 years. And are they going to take place this year — when and where?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: They will be held in Pakistan in September 2026. And we are looking forward to welcoming the Russian military contingent in Pakistan.
EN: And the fact that Pakistan and Russia are both SCO members — does this help in countering terrorism?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Of course. You know, I was the national coordinator for SCO of Pakistan, as well as for the RATS. So this is a great platform, both for Russia and Pakistan, to get rid of the menace of fascism, terrorism and extremism from all over the world. And both countries have a lot of experience in dealing with these elements which promote extremism, terrorism and fascism. So Pakistan is a close partner of Russia and all the SCO countries, within the SCO as well as within the RATS. So we look forward to working with all regional countries, because we need a world where rational actors who believe in international peace, sovereignty, trade, cultural and economic interaction prevail, rather than those actors which promote extremism, terrorism and fascism.
EN: In 2024 a terrible terrorist attack hit Crocus City Hall in Russian Krasnogorsk. The Vilayat-e-Khorasan — an Afghan branch of ISIS — took responsibility for that. And as far as I know, Pakistan also suffers from this terrorist organization. So did the countries manage to block this threat? How significant is its presence now?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Unfortunately, Vilayat-e-Khorasan has a strong presence in Afghanistan, which is not only destabilizing Pakistan, but also China, Tajikistan and Russia. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago we had some issues with Vilayat-e-Khorasan and Tehrik-e-Taliban. Pakistan had to take action — we had been trying for the last four years to get these elements controlled within Afghanistan. Unfortunately, then we had to take action ourselves. And after that, we haven’t had any terrorist attacks in Pakistan. So I hope that Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan will be able to control Tehrik-e-Taliban Khorasan and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
EN: And Russia the only country in the world so far that has recognized the Taliban government of Afghanistan. An Ambassador appointed by the Taliban government works here in Moscow right now. At the same time, the Pakistani government announced an open war with the Taliban in February, and this war hasn’t been finished yet, as far as I understand. So does the fact that Russia recognized the Taliban — does it complicate relations between Pakistan and Russia, or does it perhaps open new options for negotiating and settling the problem?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: No, that’s an independent decision of Russia, and we welcome that. We also have a chargé d’affaires of Taliban in Pakistan, and we have an Ambassador in Kabul as well. And we believe that Russia can play a very effective role in convincing the Taliban, because you know, there are two areas which are blocking the North-South Transport Corridor, which is a vision of President Vladimir Putin. One is Iran, another is Afghanistan. And we have asked the Russians to engage with the Taliban — do they want to be a part of this North-South Transport Corridor, or do they want to be a factor of instability by promoting the interests of extraterritorial actors in destabilizing Pakistan, Tajikistan and Russia?
EN: And you mentioned the tensions with India and that you were involved in the negotiations with India. Also, last spring there was a war conflict. Donald Trump said it was one of the eight wars that he stopped. And also, Pakistan supported the nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. So from your point of view, does Russia have any real role — maybe as a negotiator — between Islamabad and New Delhi?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, Russia has always had a role, because it has very close ties with India. And that’s what we tell them — we are already partners in the SCO. We will soon be starting negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. And we want to be part of the BRICS. So Russia can always play the role of an honest broker in improving relations between India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, the present government of India thinks otherwise. But in last year’s conflict, India got a reality check — that Pakistan, despite being a smaller country in terms of economy and military, is a very tough country. And we told them — but we want to enter into negotiations with India. And yes, President Trump played a role in de-escalation, because again, when a country is forced to fight, it fights. But Pakistan is not a country that wants to fight, especially when both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. So that’s what I tell Indians — you are a nuclear power. You don’t start a conflict with another nuclear power over a small incident. In Pakistan, there have been many terrorist incidents, and we have caught Indian agents of RAW and the Navy in Pakistan. But we never started a war with India. But if Pakistan as a country is forced to fight a war, Pakistan is willing to fight a war.
EN: By the way, does Pakistan need any assistance from Russia in contributing to the physical security of Pakistani nuclear facilities?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, our nuclear facilities are well secured, and of course we’d be very happy to work with the Russians as well. But you know, that’s what we were discussing during this conflict — India and Pakistan have an agreement that we never target each other’s nuclear facilities. Every year we exchange those lists on the 31st of December. What we witnessed in the last conflict is that unfortunately Israel was attacking Bushehr. Had there been a direct strike on Bushehr, it would have had an impact not only on Iran alone, but on the Persian Gulf as well as Pakistan. So I hope that Israel learns from this — a nuclear facility is something very sacrosanct. It should never be attacked. India and Pakistan have a very good history of ensuring that we do not attack each other’s nuclear facilities. So we will be very happy to work with the Russians in the nuclear field as well.
EN: Do you have any projects with Rosatom?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: We are collaborating with them, but we want to take it to the next level, of course. At present we are working with China, and we have our own facilities. But we’ll be very happy to collaborate with Russia in the future as well.
EN: Mr. Ambassador, I know that more and more citizens of Pakistan are studying in Russian universities. In what specialties?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Well, 1,300 Pakistani students are presently studying in Russia — engineering, medicine, economics, basically. But I want this number to be at least 13,000. I believe that the youth holds the future of this world. More Russian students should study in Pakistan and more Pakistanis should study in the Russian Federation. They will be the architects of friendship, peace and prosperity. Russia will be holding the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg in September 2026, and a big Pakistani delegation will be coming for that. I went on a youth exchange program when I was in high school in Canada. So that created those linkages, and I have them still. I know someone — the most popular Urdu writer of Pakistan — came to the Soviet Youth Festival in 1957, and he still talks and writes about it. His son is our ambassador in the Netherlands right now. So Pakistan believes that more Russians should study in Pakistan and more Pakistanis should study in all fields. And that’s what my endeavor is — to raise the number of Pakistani students here and to raise the number of Russian students in Pakistan.
EN: Urdu is taught in Russia. And what about the Russian language in Pakistan?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Yes, Russian is being taught in Pakistan, also in schools. But you know, we need more, because all the works of Russian authors have been translated — I started reading Russian literature when I was in school, during the Soviet era. One of the first books I read was by Maxim Gorky — The Mother. Then I read And Quiet Flows the Don by Sholokhov — that was one of the favorite books of my uncle. And of course then I read Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy in Urdu, and Chekhov. And similarly, now Pakistani writers are being translated — Manto has been translated into Russian, and he is considered to be the Chekhov of Urdu literature. Then Faiz, who was the recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize in the ’60s, has been translated into Russian. So we want more cultural interaction between Russia and Pakistan.
EN: That’s very interesting. And do you know approximately how many Russian tourists come to Pakistan?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: That’s what I’m working on right now. On Monday we’ll be meeting, and we’ll be sending the first Russian tourists to Pakistan pretty soon.
EN: You are going to receive the first Russian tourists? There haven’t been any so far?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: They come individually — you’d be surprised, around 3,000 Russians are married to Pakistanis and living in Pakistan. So those linkages are already there. There are a lot of Pakistanis living in Russia who are married to Russians. So they travel extensively between these capitals. But a lot of Russians go to Pakistan for hiking and mountaineering, because we have the second highest mountain in the world. Out of 14 eight-thousanders, five peaks over 8,000 meters are in Pakistan. But now we want to attract Russian tourists to explore the Pakistani beaches, Pakistani history. Pakistan could be a great skiing destination even in summer. And Pakistan could be a historical destination — Alexander the Great came to Pakistan in 326 BC. We want to welcome the Russians to come to Pakistan and explore its rich cultural, natural and historical heritage.
EN: So there are going to be some organized tours?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Organized tours, yes. We will be sending the first organized tours, which will be followed by a regular flow of Russian tourists to Pakistan.
EN: But there are no direct flights yet, right?
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Unfortunately, not at present. But 30 years ago we had regular flights between Moscow and Pakistan, and we have started the process of establishing flights between the two countries.
EN: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for this interesting talk.
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi
EN: Thank you so much.
EN: This was a Special interview program. It was conducted by me, Ekaterina Zabrodina. Our guest was the Ambassador of Pakistan to Moscow, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi. Stay with us. Subscribe to the YouTube and Telegram channels of RTVI. All the best.
