Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The three-day Pakistan Russia Technical Committee session over what was known as the North-South gas pipeline project concluded on Wednesday with a reaffirmation of mutual cooperation.
The flagship strategic gas pipeline venture, which is said to “strengthen the long term bilateral ties between Pakistan and the Russian Federation through people-to-people contact” discussed the construction of a high-pressure gas transmission pipeline from Karachi to Kasur.
The pipeline project, which has now been renamed to ‘Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline’, includes a Karachi-Kasur RLNG line for transportation towards the northern side of the country for fulfilling “growing demands”.
The Russian delegation, comprising energy ministry representatives, embassy officials, and their industrialists and entrepreneurs, attended the session to deliberate on the prospects of partnerships.
The Pakistani side included representatives from foreign and energy ministries while also law and justice division delegates while it was attended by federal energy minister Omar Ayub Khan and Prime Minister’s aide on petroleum Nadeem Babar.
Minister Ayub said in the meeting Pakistan envisages this as a first step towards the “establishment of a strong bilateral relationship and strategic ties towards the Russian Federation”.
It was underlined that the gas for these pipeline projects will be sourced through existing and new LNG Terminals at Port Qasim.
It may be noted that both sides in the session which concluded today affirmed maximum utilization of Russian and Pakistani materials in the development works to encourage local industries.
The use of locally produced equipment and resources, the meeting suggested, will enhance the technical and operational capacity of Pakistani companies and human resources through mutual working and training. The press statement released after the meeting was concluded read, the parties agreed in principle to implement the project through a special purpose company”.
