ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Energy Minister Awais Leghari has said that Russia and Pakistan are set to be linked by a freight train line next year as bilateral talks expand between the two countries.
The statement comes months after Pakistan’s ambassador to Moscow, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, expressed Islamabad’s readiness to join the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-kilometer route connecting Russia and Central Asia with India via Iran, at the International IT Forum in Khanty-Mansiysk.
In an interview with Russian broadcaster RT this week, Leghari said the initiative would mark an important milestone in enhancing connectivity between Pakistan and Russia.
“As early as March next year, the first South-North train trial run will transport goods from Russia to Pakistan via Iran and Azerbaijan,” he told the broadcaster.
Leghari said talks were also ongoing between Moscow and Islamabad regarding the establishment of direct air service between the two countries.
“We are looking at these three or four major initiatives,” he said. “We are looking at linkage of Pakistan and Russia through airline services, the aviation sector, that makes it easier for our people to interact with each other, businesses to flourish and interact and communicate with each other.”
Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have warmed up to each other in recent years through regular business and trade interactions as Islamabad seeks to enhance its role as a transit hub for landlocked economies in Central Asia.
Both countries this week signed eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of health, trade and education, the Pakistani energy ministry said, amid Islamabad’s efforts to boost foreign investment and enhance cooperation to stabilize its fragile economy.
The agreements were signed during the 9th Inter-Governmental Commission meeting in Moscow between Pakistan and Russia, with Leghari leading the Pakistani side at the talks to explore bilateral trade options.
Islamabad’s ties with Russia also saw significant improvement last year after Pakistan started purchasing Russian crude oil at a discount. Geopolitical tensions triggered fuel prices to more than double in Pakistan last year, forcing the country to opt for cheaper sources of fuel.
In 2023, Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Russia reached $1 billion. This was an increase from 2022, when Russia exported $505 million to Pakistan and Pakistan exported $75.8 million to Russia.
Islamabad says Russia and Pakistan to launch freight train service next year
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Islamabad says Russia and Pakistan to launch freight train service next year
- Awais Leghari says the North-South freight train service will connect Pakistan to Russia via Iran and Azerbaijan
- Cold War rivals Pakistan, Russia have warmed up to each other in recent years through regular interactions
Pakistan cricket chief says boycott of India match aimed at restoring Bangladesh’s dignity
- Mohsin Naqvi says Pakistan sought to highlight Bangladesh’s grievances in World Cup dispute
- His comments come a day after Pakistan reversed decision to boycott the Feb. 15 India clash
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s decision to briefly threaten a boycott of its Twenty20 World Cup match against India was intended to highlight what it saw as unfair treatment of Bangladesh and to press for the concerns raised by Bangladeshi officials to be addressed, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday.
Pakistan withdrew its decision a day earlier to skip the Group A clash scheduled for Feb. 15 in Colombo, ending a week-long standoff with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that had drawn intervention from several member boards amid fears of disruption to the tournament.
“Our objective was only to ensure that Bangladesh was treated with dignity and that the injustice done to them was highlighted,” Naqvi told journalists in Peshawar. “You saw that whatever points Bangladesh raised were accepted. That’s it. We had no personal agenda of our own in this.”
Bangladesh had raised security concerns about playing its World Cup matches in India amid political tensions between the two countries and sought the relocation of its fixtures to Sri Lanka, a request that was turned down by the ICC. Subsequently, Bangladesh chose to withdraw from the tournament and were replaced by Scotland instead.
Pakistan cited Bangladesh’s removal from the original schedule as unjust when it initially instructed its team not to face India, a move that would have resulted in a forfeiture.
The decision led to a crisis situation since the India-Pakistan match is the biggest and most lucrative clash in the world of cricket, leading to a frantic weekend of negotiations.
The reversal allows Pakistan to proceed with the marquee India match after Bangladesh’s concerns were accommodated by the ICC, Naqvi said.
Pakistan, who edged past the Netherlands in their opening game, face the United States today in Group A, with India set to travel to Colombo for the Feb. 15 clash.
Pakistan and India, bitter political rivals, have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade and meet only at global tournaments at neutral venues.
