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RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Pakistan valued its relations with Russia and hoped for furthering military relations between the two countries.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release, Russian Ambassador Danila V. Ganich, called on the Army Chief here at GHQ.
During the meeting matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, enhanced bilateral and defence cooperation and Afghan Peace Process were discussed.
Speaking on the occasion, the army chief said that Peace in Afghanistan was a common goal where both sides reiterated mutual efforts towards achieving the goal.
Gen Bajwa appreciated recent visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Pakistan and hoped for further diplomatic engagements at higher level.
The Russian Ambassador lauded Pakistan’s sincere efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region, especially the Afghan Peace Process. Both reiterated the commitment to enhance Pak-Russia bilateral relationship.
Islamabad, Moscow to sign gas pipeline pact
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Russia are set to formally sign) an amended Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline (PSGP) project.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Shafqat Ali Khan, will sign the protocol on the amendments to the agreement on behalf of Pakistan in Moscow.
The cost of the project has been estimated at $2.25 billion by Pakistani officials, which is not yet finalised by the Russian side. Under the revised agreement, Pakistan will own 74 percent stakes in the pipeline and Russia 26 percent.
Once the amended agreement is signed, both sides will have to sign within 60 days the shareholding agreement, heads of agreement under various commercial arrangements and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) company will also be constituted that will materialise the project.
The PSGP project will deliver gas from coastal regions to industrial areas in the north and will boost the country’s capacity to internally transport imported LNG. It has been held up since 2015 due to a disagreement over fees and the US sanctions against Russian state conglomerate Rostec.
Last November, Russian officials visited Pakistan for three-day-long negotiations to finalise work on the project which was also a main topic of discussion during Russian foreign minister Sergey visit to Islamabad last month.
