The plan to build a pipeline between the two neighbors to send Iranian gas to Pakistan has been suspended because of sanctions on Iran.
The Pakistani finance minister, in his interview with the Financial Times, said that if there is an agreement on the JCPOA revival, Pakistan will be able to revive its project with Iran.
“If there’s a deal . . . this is the cheapest [option]. It’s next door. It’ll be very good for us,” he told the London-based daily.
Shaukat Tarin also spoke about a Russian-built gas pipeline that will transport liquefied natural gas from southern Pakistan to its north.
He said that Pakistan “will go ahead with this deal”, as it is “the best alternative as of now”, despite the West’s pressure on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.
“This was obviously done before Ukraine,” the Pakistani minister added.
Shaukat Tarin expressed hope that Russian officials would soon visit his country to finalize the deal for the Pakistan Stream pipeline following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow last month. The pipeline will be built by a group of Russian companies and is estimated to cost more than $2bn.
In recent years, Pakistan has got closer to Russia, as it seeks to increase its energy security. The country’s authorities believe that jeopardizing ties with Russia would be too costly. To meet its growing demands, Pakistan has in recent years started gas imports from the Persian Gulf countries, while it produces gas itself.
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