Daily Times

The first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday, according to Moscow’s embassy in Islamabad, marking Islamabad’s second major Russian energy purchase.

The shipment, which the embassy said was delivered with Iranian assistance, comes on the heels of Pakistan receiving its first-ever delivery of Russian crude under a deal struck between the two countries earlier this year.

Russia delivered 100,000 metric tonnes to Pakistan via Iran’s Sarakhs Special Economic Zone, according to a social media post by the Russian embassy.

The embassy stated that discussions on a second shipment were currently underway. It didn’t say anything about Iran’s involvement, and it wasn’t clear how much the LPG cost or whether it was discounted.

Pakistan has stated that it paid for the Russian crude in Chinese currency, but the value of the transaction has not been disclosed.

Energy imports account for the majority of Pakistan’s external payments, and discounted imports from Russia provide some relief as Islamabad struggles with an acute balance of payments problem, risking default on its external debt.