The Centre for Strategic Perspectives at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad hosted a roundtable in collaboration with the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) that brought Pakistani and Russian scholars together to examine European and Eurasian security and the implications for Pakistan.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, chairman of the ISSI Board of Governors, noted that the strategic shifts of the 2020s carry direct consequences for Pakistan given its geographic location and ties to Eurasia, stressing the need for informed dialogue and sustained engagement with international research partners.
Dr. Fedor Voitlovsky, director of IMEMO, praised the long-standing partnership with ISSI and highlighted practical areas for enhanced bilateral cooperation including infrastructure, energy security and technology. He underlined that Russia views European and Eurasian security as interconnected, arguing that NATO expansion and differing security concepts have strained prospects for an inclusive security architecture and prompted Moscow to articulate a broader Eurasian security vision.
Dr. Maria Khorolskaya described 2014–2022 as a decisive turning point in Russia–West relations, tracing recent tensions to competing interpretations of indivisible security, NATO’s eastward enlargement and the erosion of arms control mechanisms. She outlined Russia’s stated demands for security guarantees and linked European rearmament to uncertainty over U.S. commitments and structural limits within the EU defence sector.
Dr. Gleb Makarevich highlighted regional initiatives such as the Eurasian Economic Union, its connection to the Belt and Road Initiative and the concept of a Greater Eurasian Partnership, presenting these as flexible, development-oriented frameworks that combine economic integration and security cooperation. He noted that Pakistan can engage constructively in Eurasian institutional processes and development projects of mutual interest.
Mr. Taimur Khan argued that Eurasian security should be seen as complementary and adaptive rather than a replacement for European security, and that Pakistan’s approach remains pragmatic with emphasis on regional stability, connectivity, economic development and strategic autonomy while remaining attentive to European security dynamics that shape global norms.
Pakistani participants including Prof. Dr. Adam Saud, Dr. Saira Nawaz Abbasi, Prof. Tughral Yamin and Prof. Shabbir Khan discussed the implications of these shifts for South Asia, regional connectivity and emerging geopolitical alignments. The session, moderated by Dr. Neelum Nigar, concluded with a wide-ranging question-and-answer exchange on NATO–Russia relations, arms control, Eurasian institutional frameworks and the impact of great-power competition on regional and global stability. The event closed with Ambassador Mahmood presenting mementoes to the visiting scholars.
