ISLAMABAD: A high-powered Russian delegation is currently in Islamabad for critical talks on the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project. When contacted, an official of the petroleum ministry said that talks with the Russian delegation, led by A.A. Tolparov, deputy director of department of foreign economic co­­operation and fuel markets development, were continuing and exp­e­cted to conclude on Thursday (today), following which an official announcement on the project was expected.

Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said last month that the completion of the Pakistan stream gas pipeline construction was expected in 2025 in case of stable financing of the project. If a deal is struck, the Russian side will be responsible for construction of the gas pipeline, and the Pakistani side for gas sources and construction of a regasification terminal, according to Russian news agency, TASS.

The intergovernmental agreement on construction of 1100-km long north-south (Pakistan stream) gas pipeline with the capacity of 12.4 billion cubic metres of gas per year was signed by Russia and Pakistan in October 2015. The two sides were to sign commercial agreements in 2016, whereas it was planned to deliver the project by 2018, but the project’s implementation has been rescheduled several times.

The Russian energy minister and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan signed a document in Moscow on May 28 to start practical implementation of the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project.