ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has settled a 40 year old trade dispute with Russia as Islamabad has paid an amount of $93.5 million (Rs14.42 billion) to Moscow.
The issue was a major hurdle in boosting the country’s trade ties with Russia. The dispute resolution is likely to improve trade between the two countries, an official said on Tuesday.
According to the official, the payment of $93.5 million against the Russian exporters’ claims pending since the disintegration of the Soviet Union would now pave the way for billions of dollar investments by Russian investors in Pakistan.
Earlier last year, the government had authorised its Ambassador to Russia to sign the deal. Under the agreement, the Pakistani government was bound to return $93.5 million to Russia within 90 days.
Islamabad was liable to clear pending exporters’ claims to the tune of $23.8 million as per the settlement agreements reached on October 6, 2016 and December 27, 2017.
Russia had late last year said it was willing to expand cooperation with Pakistan on multiple fronts, including the industrial sector, agriculture, energy, medicine and railways, Radio Pakistan had reported.
The remarks were made by Russian Trade Minister Denis Valentinovich Manturov during the sixth meeting of Pakistan-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific Technical Cooperation at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
