ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of competition policy.
The MoU was signed by Chairman CCP Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu and FAS Deputy Head Mr. Andrey Tsyganov during the 10th session of the Russia–Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Investment, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. The signing marks a significant step toward deepening institutional coordination, promoting fair market practices, and strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
The MoU provides a structured framework for collaboration, including the exchange of expertise, best practices, and regulatory experience in areas such as cartel investigations, abuse of dominance, merger control, deceptive marketing, and sectoral competition assessments. Under the agreement, both authorities will engage through regular meetings, consultations, workshops, expert exchanges, and joint research initiatives.
FAS was established 35 years ago and operates with a significantly wider mandate compared to the CCP. It has nearly 1,000 employees at its headquarters, whereas the CCP has around 250 staff members in Islamabad. FAS also maintains independent regional offices that play a highly effective role in curbing cartelization and deceptive marketing practices. The CCP stands to learn a great deal from Russia’s extensive regulatory experience, and both sides will hold joint sessions in the near future to deepen cooperation and knowledge sharing.
The cooperation is expected to pave the way for stronger regulatory coordination, enhanced enforcement capacity, and more competitive and consumer-friendly markets in both Pakistan and Russia.
