ISLAMABAD: The Russian Consul General in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, Andrey Viktorovich Fedorov has said that sanctions imposed by Western countries on Moscow also impact the economic cooperation between Pakistan and Russia.
Western countries have imposed unprecedented financial and corporate sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Former prime minister Imran Khan, who arrived in Russia the day it launched a full-scale invasion, has said Russia was willing to offer oil at cheaper rates to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, who is part of the cabinet of new PM Shehbaz Sharif, has rubbished Khan’s claims, and said Islamabad would be willing to buy oil at cheaper rates from Russia provided Moscow made the offer and Islamabad would not have to face sanctions on the deal.
Interview to Urdu News, Fedorov said referred to these sanctions as “illegal Western sanctions”, adding that they affect economic cooperation between Russia and other countries because “money cannot be transferred [via banks].”
“We should look for and find some ways out of this situation,” Fedorov said. “Because they [Western countries] are not only sanctioning us, they are also sanctioning Pakistan.”
He said Russia considered Pakistan a friend and hoped Islamabad thought the same of Moscow as well. “So, with a friendly country, we would want and would like any sort of business and economic cooperation.”
Speaking about reported discussions between Islamabad and Moscow about buying oil at cheap rates, Fedorov said he was not privy to any negotiations between the government of former PM Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s team would be in a better position to inform the media about any agreements or discussions between Pakistan and Russia that took place during Khan’s visit to Moscow, the diplomat said.
Khan has been criticizing the government of PM Sharif for not pursuing his administration’s “deal” for the procurement of oil from Russia and has frequently quoted India as an example, saying it was buying cheaper oil from Moscow despite being a strategic ally of Washington.
Meanwhile, the Sharif government, desperate to revive a $6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has raised petrol prices thrice in a month.
