The Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday that Alexei Overchuk, the deputy prime minister of Russia, will head a high-level group during his two-day visit to Pakistan on September 18 and 19.
Important discussions between the Deputy PM Overchuk and President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz Sharif, and his counterpart Ishaq Dar would take place during his visit, the FO stated.
Media reports said that more LNG deals between Moscow and Islamabad are currently discussed.
According to the reports, which cited a senior official at the Ministry of Energy, Russia had communicated that its LNG export terminals would be ready for gas trade with Pakistan in 2026 because two long-term agreements under government-to-government provisions would trigger the price re-opening clause with Qatar in 2026.
It would be intriguing to watch what the Russian deputy prime minister’s visit would involve, as the coalition administration led by Prime Minister Shehbaz works to address a number of issues, most notably those related to the economy.
Following a meeting between President Zardari and Russian officials in April, during which the latter offered help with regard to the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) — established with Moscow’s assistance — the Ministry of Industries and Production earlier this month submitted a report to the National Assembly stating that the nation was considering establishing a new steel mill.
In July, Islamabad received an offer from Russian Consul General Andrey Viktorovich Fedorov to assist Moscow in bringing back the steel plants.
