In three-day Pakistan Russia Technical Committee session held in Karachi to hammer out North-South gas pipeline joint venture, the countries reaffirmed their interest in mutual cooperation.
The flagship strategic gas pipeline venture will supply gas to Northern areas of the country via a channel designed from Karachi to Kasur, adjacent to Lahore.
The project will “strengthen the long term bilateral ties between Pakistan and the Russian Federation through people-to-people contact”, said the press statement shared by Pakistan Information Department following the conclusion of three-day session on Wednesday.
They discussed the construction of a high-pressure RLNG (regasified liquefied natural gas) transmission pipeline from Karachi to Kasur.
The erstwhile North-South Gas Pipeline project, which is now renamed to ‘Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline’, includes a Karachi-Kasur RLNG line for transmission of gas towards the northern side of the country for fulfilling growing industrial and domestic 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”.
The said company will be established in Pakistan by Pakistani and Russian parties, “wherein Pakistan will have the majority shareholding.”
