Pakistan has welcomed its first-ever shipment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia, a significant development in Islamabad’s growing energy collaboration with Moscow. The Russian embassy in Islamabad confirmed this milestone on Tuesday, following Pakistan’s earlier receipt of Russian crude oil this year.
The delivery, made possible with Iranian support, consisted of 100,000 metric tonnes of LPG, routed through Iran’s Sarakhs Special Economic Zone. While the Russian embassy announced the successful shipment on social media, details regarding the cost of the LPG and any potential discounts were not immediately disclosed.
Consultations for a second LPG shipment from Russia are currently in progress, as indicated by the embassy. However, the extent of Iran’s involvement in this ongoing collaboration remains unspecified.
In a separate transaction involving Russian crude oil, Pakistan utilized Chinese currency for payment. However, the specific value of the deal has not been publicly disclosed.
Pakistan’s energy imports constitute a substantial portion of its external expenditures. The acquisition of discounted energy resources from Russia serves as a valuable relief measure for Islamabad, especially amid its ongoing economic challenges and a pressing balance of payments issue, which poses the risk of defaulting on external debt obligations.
