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Pakistan doubts viability of oil pipeline project from Russia to India

The project of a Russia-India trans-Asian pipeline with an investment programme of about $30 billion has been discussed by market players and experts since 2005

© ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Pakistan doubts viability of the project of oil pipeline construction from Russia to India, Pakistan’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Mohammad Ishaq Dar told TASS on Monday.

“India has invited Russia to such a project. Everything is possible in this world. But in this particular case, it is important to choose the right geography of a pipeline and ensure its security. War in Afghanistan goes on and it augments the risks. So, it is worth analyzing and discussing this invitation to make sure it is viable,” he said, adding that if the parties to the project were ready, “there will be no problems with Pakistan.”

Earlier, India initiated the formation of a working group to look at possible ground transportation of oil and gas from Russia.

Ground transportation of hydrocarbons from Russia to India is possible only via the territories of transit countries: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Long-term factors of risk are instability of the political situation in Afghanistan and complicated inter-state relations between India and Pakistan.

The project of a Russia-India trans-Asian pipeline with an investment programme of about $30 billion has been discussed by market players and experts since 2005.

Plans to set up a Russia-India working group on analyzing possibilities of ground transportation of oil and gas were announced in a joint statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh published in the autumn of 2013 after top-level talks.

Tags

Oil & Gas India Pakistan

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