ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Sunday Moscow could supply natural gas to Pakistan and Afghanistan “in the long-term” while primarily mentioning the relevance of European market for his country which has been facing gas shortages in recent months.
The global energy market witnessed significant disruptions after President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to invade neighboring Ukraine earlier this year. The decision led to significant political backlash from developed nations that decided to impose sanctions on Russia and deprive its energy sector of European market.
Pakistan’s State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik admitted last June the invasion of Ukraine had created problems for his country which could not compete with richer European states in a bidding war for liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Russian imports were banned by these countries.
“Moscow is discussing higher supplies of its gas to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan,” Reuters quoted Novak as saying during an interview with Russia’s official TASS news agency. “[He] said that in the long-term, Russia can send its natural gas to the markets of Afghanistan and Pakistan, either using the infrastructure of Central Asia, or in a swap from the territory of Iran.”
Pakistan, which frequently faces gas shortages in winter season, has also remained in conversation with Moscow over the purchase of discounted crude oil in recent months.
Despite the emergence of new markets, the senior Russian administration official’s primary focus was on resuming gas supplies to Europe in his statement.
“The European market remains relevant, as the gas shortage persists, and we have every opportunity to resume supplies,” he maintained.
Novak mentioned the Yamal-Europe Pipeline which remained “unused” for “political reasons” after Poland stopped buying gas from Russia before fully terminating an agreement with it in May.
He maintained that his country had already managed to augment LNG supplies to Europe in the outgoing year while expressing Moscow’s intention to increase gas supplies to the world market after creating an energy hub in Turkiye.
