Russia can supply gas to Pak as infra already in place: Putin tells Sharif

Russia can supply gas to Pakistan as necessary infrastructures are already in place, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan.

The high-level meeting took place shortly after Prime Minister Sharif reached Samarkand in Uzbekistan to attend the annual meeting of the SCO's Council of Heads of State (CHS) during a two-day visit from September 15 to 16.

"The issue is about pipeline gas supplies from Russia to Pakistan, which is also possible, which means part of infrastructure has already been created, meaning Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. We have to solve the Afghan issue," Putin was quoted as saying by Russia's state-run TASS news agency.

"Of course, there are problems connected with political stability, but having in mind our mutually good relations with the Afghan people, I hope this problem can also be solved, I mean Pakistan's influence on the situation in the country," he added.

Overall, Russia and Pakistan have other very interesting and ambitious projects, particularly in the energy sector, Putin noted. He also mentioned the Pakistani Stream project, which suggests the creation of infrastructure for supplies of liquified natural gas.

Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

The two countries are not just exploring options to deepen economic ties, but Russia is also keen to sell arms to Pakistan, something it avoided in the past because of India's opposition.

The two countries have already been holding regular joint military exercises since 2016 in another sign of deepening ties between Moscow and Islamabad. Besides, the two countries also share the same view on key regional and international issues including Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Sharif also held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO meeting and discussed issues of mutual interest. The meeting focused on strengthening Pak-Uzbek ties in diverse fields for the benefit of the two brotherly nations.

He also held wide-ranging talks with Tajikistan President Emamoli Rahmon, covering all aspects of the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation including regional and international issues.

"Both leaders agreed to bolster and expand the scope of mutually beneficial fraternal ties," Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

The Foreign Office said that President Rahmon extended profound sympathies and condolences over the loss of human lives and devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan and assured of Tajikistan's full support in the efforts for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.

Sharif thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood victims in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods, induced by climate change.

Both leaders accorded particular focus on further strengthening of reliable and constructive high-level contacts, inter-parliamentary ties, defence and security relations between the two countries.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of regular meetings of bilateral institutional mechanisms and establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation in the implementation of energy projects. He also reiterated Pakistan's resolve for timely completion of the important "CASA-1000" power transmission project.

He emphasised the expansion of cooperation in the field of road transportation and underscored the importance of connectivity. He underlined Pakistan's readiness to facilitate provision of access to Gwadar and Karachi to Tajikistan.

The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to work together to strengthen peace, stability and security in the region, particularly in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Sharif also met Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Prior to his departure, Shehbaz took to Twitter to share his views on the SCO summit.

"The global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among SCO member countries," he said, adding that the "SCO vision" represented the aspirations of 40 per cent of the world's population.

"Pakistan reiterates its commitment to Shanghai Spirit'. Mutual respect and trust can be the bedrock of shared development and prosperity, he said.

"The SCO has great potential to chart a way forward at a time of deeply worrying transformation in geo-political & geo-economic fields," he concluded.

Prime Minister Sharif is accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Defence Minister Khwaja Asif.

Launched in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.