Pakistan, Turkiye agree to work on gas supply project from Russia

SAMARKAND: Pakistan and Turkiye have agreed to carry out work on Stream Gas Pipeline project from Russia to Islamabad, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to details, the understanding came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President agreed on promoting the bilateral trade and implementation of large-scale projects including the gas supply.

Speaking on the occasion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that part of the infrastructure for Pakistan-Russia Stream was already in place in Moscow, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The president said he considers Pakistan as the country’s preferred partner in Asia, expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations in diverse areas.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif extended his gratitude to President Erdogan and to the people of Turkiye for their solidarity and generous support in the wake of devastating floods in Pakistan, caused by climate change.

Highlighting close fraternal ties between the two countries, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of various bilateral institutional mechanisms, in particular the High-level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which served as the leadership-level platform to provide strategic direction to this abiding partnership.

While welcoming the recent signing of “Trade in Goods” agreement between both countries, the premier expressed the confidence that optimal utilisation of the agreement would boost bilateral trade and act as a catalyst in further cementing bilateral economic and investment relations.

The two leaders decided to maintain close contact and continue high-level exchanges to further enhance the multi-dimensional strategic relations between Pakistan and Turkiye.

A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met today on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, Putin said that pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan are possible, and that part of the necessary infrastructure is already in place. Both personalities discussed the bilateral relations and the ways to further strengthen the cooperation.