Ambassador Albert P. Khorev and Future Team Pakistan discuss IFY-2026 participation, cultural dialogue and expanded youth exchanges
ISLAMABAD, Friday, September 4, 2026 (WNP): Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev met with leaders of Future Team Pakistan (FTP) to discuss new opportunities for strengthening youth cooperation and people-to-people ties between Russia and Pakistan.
The meeting focused on the upcoming International Festival of Youth (IFY-2026), which will be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, from September 11 to 17.
Future Team Pakistan is actively involved in coordinating Pakistani participation in the international youth festival. During the meeting, FTP Chairman Danyal Hayat briefed Ambassador Khorev on the results of the selection campaign for IFY-2026.
More than 10,000 applications were received from Pakistan, with around 250 young Pakistanis selected to participate in the festival.
The selected participants will represent Pakistan across a diverse range of fields, including creative industries, public administration, science and education, sports, entrepreneurship, media, digitalisation and information technology.
The participation of such a diverse group of young Pakistanis is expected to provide an important platform for cultural interaction, professional networking and the exchange of ideas with young people from Russia and other countries.
During the meeting, held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the participants emphasised the importance of further strengthening cultural and humanitarian dialogue between Moscow and Islamabad, with particular attention to expanding youth exchanges.
The sides discussed the potential for greater interaction between young people of the two countries through international festivals, educational initiatives, cultural programmes and other people-to-people exchanges.
The Russian Embassy expressed its best wishes to all Pakistani participants travelling to Russia for IFY-2026, hoping that the festival would provide them with new experiences, valuable connections and lasting friendships.
The initiative highlights the growing importance of youth diplomacy and people-to-people contacts in Russia-Pakistan relations, while creating opportunities for future cooperation in education, technology, entrepreneurship, culture, media and other areas.
The upcoming festival is also expected to offer Pakistani youth an opportunity to engage with international peers, exchange perspectives and explore avenues for future joint projects and partnerships between Russia and Pakistan.
