Russia vows to cooperate with Pakistan on energy

MOSCOW: A week after Pakistan and Russia signed an agreement for supply of Russian crude and oil products, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Monday said his country would “cooperate fully” to meet the energy needs of Pakistan.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart here, Lavrov commended Pakistan for maintaining a neutral position in the Russian-Ukraine war and said the two countries would continue to cooperate in various fields.

Lavrov said Washington will hinder cooperation between Moscow and Islamabad in the energy sphere. “As regards the United States, that they will hinder our deals in the energy sphere - they will certainly stand in the way. The United States, almost to everyone, publicly, shamelessly and quite arrogantly says you cannot do business with Russia. There have been threats against China recently, as well as against India, Turkey, and Egypt. There is not a single country that the United States would not send such neo-colonial messages to,” Lavrov said.

The overwhelming majority of countries, including Pakistan, are governed primarily by their national interests, the Russian top diplomat said.

“We are aware of the actions our Western colleagues can resort to. Not merely to threats of secondary sanctions but also to direct acts of terrorism, just as it was with the sabotage at the Nord Stream and the Nord Stream 2,” Lavrov added.

He said progress was expected soon regarding the talks on construction of Pakistan Stream pipeline. “The issue is already at an advanced stage of consideration. I am confident that there will be progress in the near future,” the minister said.

Special attention was paid to this issue during the meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation of the two countries staged in Islamabad in January 2023, Lavrov noted.

“Russia is ready to sign the necessary corporate documents for construction of Pakistan Stream gas pipeline,” Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov said earlier. On January 28, the Foreign Office announced that Minister of Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had been invited to Moscow by his Russian counterpart to “hold official talks with his Russian counterpart where the two sides would deliberate upon the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.”

During the joint press conference after the talks on Monday, the two ministers said that the countries would continue to cooperate and work together. Bilawal said that the two had a “fruitful” discussion regarding the energy sector, stressing that both countries wanted to enhance bilateral relations.

He also underscored the devastation caused to Pakistan’s economy and infrastructure by recent floods that affected millions of people in the country, adding “relations between Pakistan and Russia are important for bilateral and regional stability”.

“Pakistan attaches great importance to relations with Russia and wants to further promote relations,” Bilawal said, adding that the talks had proved fruitful and the nations would continue to talk on matters in all fields “in a friendly atmosphere”.

Moreover, his Russian counterpart too asserted that the cooperation between the two countries in various fields would continue and that Russia would “cooperate fully” to meet Pakistan’s energy needs.

He congratulated both states on the successful completion of the 8th inter-governmental meeting, which ended on January 20 and during which Russia and Pakistan agreed on late March as the timeline for crude oil export.

The two foreign ministers also discussed regional and international developments. Bilawal said that Pakistan wanted a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian conflict, while the Russian FM said that Pakistan’s neutral position regarding the matter was commendable.

The Russian FM also said, “Pakistan and Russia hold a common stance on a number of issues on international forums. “The two countries also have the same position regarding cooperation in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO),” adding that Russia would continue to support Pakistan’s efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan.

The visit is significant because even when the Russians have their hands full with Ukraine, they still extended this invitation, a sign of warming relations and a chance to discuss further the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

On January 20, Islamabad and Moscow — after the conclusion of the annual inter-governmental commission — agreed on late March as the timeline for crude oil export.

This is a major development for Pakistan as the country is facing a severe economic crisis. State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik revealed that “Pakistan wants to import 35 percent of its total crude oil” requirement from Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov also said that Pakistan would pay for energy purchases from Russia, when they start in late March, in currencies of friendly countries.