BAKU: Azerbaijan will start sending cargo containers of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to Pakistan from next month, PM Office said Friday.
The decision was taken at a meeting held between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the Azeri capital Baku.
This is the second major achievement for Pakistan towards fulfillment of energy needs after recently receiving the shipment of crude oil from Russia.
During the meeting, PM Sharif informed the Azeri president that the federal cabinet had approved receiving the LNG cargos from Azerbaijan.
Every month, one cargo on concessional rates will reach Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif has been working on the said deal with Azerbaijan for last six months, the PM Office said.
The two leaders agreed that Azerbaijan would help Pakistan fulfill its energy needs through cooperation in the fields of oil and gas.
Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will collaborate at government-to-government level to workout the energy resources, the PM Office said.
It was agreed that Azerbaijan would invest in the alternative energy sector of Pakistan including the solar power generation.
On import of Pakistani rice to Azerbaijan, both countries agreed on formulating a comprehensive mechanism on exemption of duty.
It was agreed that Azerbaijan Airlines – AZAL, will operate its two flights to Islamabad and Karachi in a week. The two sides also agreed ro increase cooperation in defence, agriculture, trade and transport.
Pakistan is the second country in the world which recognised Azerbaijan after its independence.
On March 1, 2017, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ilham Aliyev had signed an agreement on cooperation in defence production.
