Russian FM fears USA would try to hamper Pak-Russian energy project

Centreline Report

MOSCOW, JAN 30: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday called for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means saying that developing countries like Pakistan were facing consequences in terms of its economic impact.

“We have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles which diplomacy cannot surmount. Ukraine conflict is no exception. Developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences of the conflict in terms of economic impact,” the foreign minister said addressing a joint press conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Moscow. He expressed that hope that the “strong tradition of diplomacy of Russia would help achieve the peaceful resolution of the conflict. The foreign minister said that Pakistan considered Russia an important player in West, South and Central Asia and that the country would keep up high-level contact with the Russian Federation. Apprising the media of their meeting, Foreign Minister Bilawal said that their “friendly” and “detailed” discussion encompassed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional matters. He said both countries were celebrating the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and that Pakistan desired to strengthen its cooperation with Russia in the fields of trade, security, defence, counter-terrorism, education and people-to-people contacts. He mentioned the summit-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand as well as the 8th Inter-Government Commission held in Islamabad which focused on trade, economy and energy cooperation. He said during their meeting, they also discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora including the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Foreign Minister Bilawal told the media that Pakistan and Russia had “good cooperation” on Afghanistan and wanted to achieve common goals of peace and stability in the war-torn country. To a question on Pak-Russia energy cooperation, the foreign minister said the incumbent government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs. He said Pakistan valued its cooperation with Russia, the United States, and Europe and that the country consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes. The Russian Foreign Minister  Sergey Lavrov while responding to a question said that USA would certainly try to hamper energy project between Pakistan and Russia. He said the US had already done in the cases of China and other countries. He further said Iran shall soon join the SCO as a member while some members may also be given membership status.=DNA