Russia sees no obstacles for Pakistan Stream gas pipeline project — minister

ISLAMABAD, January 18. /TASS/. Moscow sees no obstacles for implementing the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline project and is working with Islamabad to draw a roadmap for it, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulgin has said. "The North-South gas pipeline, which was renamed the Pakistan Stream, is significant for both Russia and Pakistan. The Government of the Russian Federation pays great attention to it," he said in an interview with Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper, published on Wednesday. "Nevertheless, the approach to the implementation of such projects has to be comprehensive, it means not only a pipeline but also a source of gas for it. And we are currently discussing the project both from the point of view of transporting regasified gas and pipeline gas - from Iran or coming through TAPI [Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India]." In his words, Moscow and Islamabad are set to draft a roadmap for the project’s implementation soon. The minister emphasized that he does not "see any obstacles" for putting the project into practice. A regular round of consultations within the framework of the Russia-Pakistan intergovernmental commission on trade, economic and scientific cooperation will be held in Islamabad between January 18 and 20. Shulginov will head the Russian delegation. The Pakistaniani delegation will be led by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. The talks are expected to focus on payments for fuel, transport expenditures and insurance. Read more