Pakistan hopes to strike a long-term contract with Russia to purchase crude from Moscow in Chinese currency, Pakistan Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir Khan told foreign media on Wednesday.
“We hope that if this becomes a long-term arrangement, it’ll become a Rupee and Chinese currency transaction. And perhaps that currency swap needs to become larger in order for us to take advantage of other opportunities that might arise,” the minister said.
In January, representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Russia reached a conceptual agreement on the supply of Russian oil and agreed to coordinate logistics, insurance, payment and export volumes before they start. Pakistan will have to draw up a comprehensive energy security plan, providing for the imports of oil, liquefied natural gas, pipeline gas and other types of fuel from Russia.
US Could 'Punish' Pakistan for Buying Russian Oil
A New-Delhi-based expert told Sputnik earlier that Washington may impose "too stiffening" costs on Pakistan for purchasing oil from Russia, whereas Moscow would also be cautious regarding oil exports amid Pakistan's alleged military supplies to Ukraine.
"Given Pakistan's economic situation, Russia will be cautious of sustaining such a deal [on exports of oil at reduced prices], the United States will have reason to be upset and impose costs on such behavior that Islamabad may find too stiffening," Swaran Singh, a professor of international relations Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told Sputnik.
Washington has already expressed its displeasure about Islamabad leaning toward Moscow and finds it difficult to accept Pakistan's oil imports from Russia since China and India are purchasing Russian oil, Singh stated, adding that successive US administrations were always believed to have enormous influence on the Pakistani political leadership in this regard.
Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan, currently in custody, has said that he was upset his country could not purchase Russian crude oil at a discounted rate "just like India" amid a severe economic crisis in the country. Khan also said that his government had planned to buy oil from Russia, but failed to do so due to the no-confidence vote in April 2022, resulting in Khan's removal from office.