As world shifts toward multipolarity, Russia turns to Muslim world

By Akhtar Pathan

KARACHI, Pakistan (MNTV) — The Muslim world should avoid placing all of its strategic and economic dependence on a single global bloc and instead position itself within an emerging multipolar order in which the 57 Muslim-majority states could collectively wield significant geopolitical and economic influence, according to Pakistani international relations scholar Faisal Javaid.

Javaid, head of the Department of International Relations and Mass Communication at Federal Urdu University in Islamabad, made the remarks after participating in the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum 2026,” held from May 12 to 17 in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Muslim-majority republic of Tatarstan.

The forum brought together delegates from across the Muslim world to discuss trade, finance, technology, education, connectivity and cultural cooperation at a time when global economic and political alliances are increasingly shifting away from a Western-dominated order.

“The world is rapidly moving toward multipolarity, and the Muslim world should position itself to play an influential role within it,” Javaid said at the 2nd Russian-Pakistani International Conference held on May 13–15 as part of the KazanForum titled “The Evolution of Russia-Pakistan Relations in the Changing World Order”.

The conference was jointly organized by Kazan Federal University and Federal Urdu University Islamabad in collaboration with NUST and the Consortium for Asia Pacific and Eurasian Studies (CAPES).

“Muslim countries should not place all their eggs in one basket by remaining dependent on the West alone. They should explore other avenues as well,”

He said both China and Russia advocate a multipolar world order, though Russia appears to be pursuing the objective more aggressively through economic diplomacy, cultural outreach and political engagement with Muslim-majority countries.

Ideally, he said, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should lead such a transformation, though he believes the bloc currently lacks the institutional capacity to effectively undertake such a role.

Russia’s image in Muslim world remains largely positive

Despite the ongoing Ukraine war, Russia continues to enjoy a largely positive image across much of the Muslim world, Javaid said, with the exception of criticism linked to Moscow’s role in Syria.

Unlike the United States, he said, Russia is widely viewed in Muslim countries as having pursued a different approach toward the Islamic world, earning goodwill and political respect in many societies.

Javaid argued that media and symbolism have played a significant role in shaping that perception.

“When President Vladimir Putin publicly kissed the Quran following Quran-burning incidents in parts of Europe and the United States, it sent a strong positive message across the Muslim world,” he said.

He added that Russia’s emphasis on traditional family values and its hardline policies against LGBTQ movements resonate strongly with many Muslim societies, which view Russia as closer to their own social and religious outlook.

“Russian culture is also perceived as being more inclined toward the East than the West,” he said. “That is one reason why the Ukraine war has not significantly damaged Russia’s positive image among many Muslims.”

Although the forum focused heavily on trade, investment and cultural engagement, Javaid noted that Islamophobia was not a major subject of discussion despite Russia’s vocal support for Muslim concerns over rising anti-Muslim sentiment in parts of Europe and North America.

Moscow expands soft power through cultural diplomacy

Javaid, who is also a senior vice president of CAPES, said Russia is increasingly using forums such as KazanForum as instruments of soft power to strengthen its influence across the Muslim world and the Global South.

The country regularly hosts international gatherings that bring together politicians, academics, scientists, students, journalists and business leaders from dozens of countries, he said.

“In the past, Western countries and the United States frequently used similar forums to expand their global soft power,” Javaid said. “Today, Russia appears to be using this strategy more aggressively to strengthen its influence and image in the Muslim world and developing countries.”

He said such forums leave a lasting impression on participants, many of whom return home with a more favorable view of Russia after experiencing what he described as “dialogue, hospitality and cultural engagement.”

Pakistan absent from business side of KazanForum

While Pakistani academics maintained a visible presence at the forum, Javaid said Pakistan’s business sector and government institutions were largely absent from the event’s economic activities.

“I did not find any stall representing the Pakistani government or Pakistani businesses at the forum,” he said.

According to Javaid, many Pakistani businesses remain reluctant to engage with Russia because they fear damaging trade relations with the United States and Europe amid ongoing sanctions on Moscow.

“To some extent, this caution may be understandable,” he said. “Businesses do not want to risk established markets. However, they should also explore alternative economic windows beyond the West.”

He argued that medium- and small-scale enterprises dealing in specialized products and services could benefit substantially from participation in forums such as KazanForum, particularly because many are not solely dependent on Western markets.

For the first time, major Pakistani universities and COMSTECH, along with Islamabad-based think tanks, participated in academic engagements with Kazan Federal University. Javaid said Pakistan may have had the largest academic delegation among OIC member states, with many serving as speakers and panelists.

However, he said there was virtually no Pakistani participation in business exhibitions, investment forums or trade-related events.

Even in sectors such as Islamic finance and halal industries — two of the forum’s central themes — Pakistan failed to send representatives despite possessing considerable potential in both sectors.

“It is unfortunate because Pakistan is missing an important opportunity to benefit from a large and largely untapped market,” he said.

Russia uses Kazan as bridge to Islamic world

Javaid said Russia appears increasingly interested in leveraging its Muslim-majority regions, including Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and Astrakhan, as bridges to the broader Islamic world.

He described many Russian Muslims as strongly nationalist while also maintaining a distinct Islamic identity and cultural affinity with Muslims elsewhere.

“Muslim minorities across different countries face different social and political challenges, but they still share many common values and practices regardless of where they live,” he said, citing halal food and non-interest-based financial systems as examples.

Russia, he said, sees strategic value in using these cultural and religious connections to strengthen trade and economic ties with more than 50 Muslim-majority states.

Arab participation at KazanForum remained especially prominent, with dedicated Arabic-language sessions and platforms for Gulf and Arab delegates. However, Javaid said there should also be broader engagement mechanisms aimed at the wider Muslim world beyond the Arab sphere.

Food, energy and connectivity reshape regional calculations

Javaid said Pakistan and other Muslim countries could significantly improve food and energy security through stronger economic ties with Russia.

Russia is among the world’s leading wheat producers and remains largely self-sufficient in agricultural commodities, while Russia and Ukraine together account for a substantial share of global grain production.

“Pakistan could benefit considerably from trade in food and agricultural commodities with Russia,” he said, describing the broader Eurasian region as economically underexplored by much of the Muslim world.

He added that Russia’s vast energy resources could also offer Muslim countries alternative oil and gas partnerships amid instability in the Middle East.

According to Javaid, Pakistan could potentially secure export opportunities worth between $5 billion and $10 billion if it expands commercial engagement with Russia and surrounding Eurasian markets.

He also praised Russia’s willingness to pursue technology transfer partnerships, contrasting it with what he described as Western technological dependency structures.

Pakistan seen as strategically positioned for regional transit

Javaid argued that Pakistan occupies a critical geographic position connecting Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Turkey and the Arabian Sea, potentially making it a major transit and trade hub linking Eurasia with the Middle East and Africa.

He said Pakistan must revise border, transit and connectivity policies if it hopes to capitalize on the opportunity.

The broader regional market spanning western China, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Eurasia carries an estimated trade volume of around $1.3 trillion, he said, with additional opportunities linked to Africa and the Middle East.

“Pakistan has the potential to become a major transit hub connecting the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Eurasia,” Javaid said.

He emphasized the need for stable policies toward Afghanistan and stronger regional integration projects involving Russia and Central Asian states.

Projects such as the TAPI gas pipeline, the Trans-Afghan Railway Line and North-South transport connectivity agreements with Russia could prove transformative, he said.

“To capitalize on these opportunities, Pakistan should liberalize transit policies, establish free trade zones along border regions and develop both short-term and long-term economic strategies,” Javaid said.

He added that Pakistan must also do more to promote its investment potential, border infrastructure and joint-venture opportunities to regional and international partners as global trade routes continue to shift eastward.