KARACHI – Pakistan has great investment potential and Russia wants to cooperate with Pakistan in several promising fields. Russia apparently sees great possibilities in the case of small dams, irrigation, and agricultural projects. Moreover, telecommunications and Direct to Home (DTH) technology would be another important avenue for cooperation as Russia wishes to provide Pakistani citizens with sophisticated means of communication.
Recently, General Satellite, a Russian company, visited Pakistan to offer investment in DTH technology. Russia has stronger cultural links with Pakistan than is commonly perceived with 20 percent of its population being Muslim and a conference recently arranged highlighted the importance of the Halal industry which was attended by Russian Muftis.
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari is to visit Russia in the first half of this year, he stated, adding that he is well respected and ties are expected to be improve during the visit as both countries realise the importance of strengthening dialogue. He highlighted that both countries possess rich natural resources including gold, iron amongst other important ores and that there is a lot of potential in hydropower, he added.
Pakistan has sectors like textile production, sports, medical, pharmaceutical, leather which can be utilised to attract investment from the Russian business community. He also revealed that the Russian Investment Agency Chairman had also visited Pakistan.
In response to a query about why Russia is not offering its services towards the expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills which was initially built by the Soviets, Demidov indicated a plan for the gradual upgradation had been presented by the Russian authorities to the administration of the steel mills, but any delay is attributable to the Pakistani side.
Chief Executive Officer PSM Imtiaz Lodhi (now suspended) had his own plan but nothing has been done so far, he stated, adding that PSM is a Pakistani asset and the government has to take its own decision at its own time, he expressed his belief that something should be done in this regard and said his country was prepared to furnish all necessary aid to Pakistan.
To a question, he replied that Russia worked with Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) in the sixties and the seventies towards oil and gas exploration in both East and West Pakistan and since Russia is the third largest exporter of oil and gas in the world. He however stressed that until a request is first made by the Pakistani government, Russia cannot provide assistance and expertise in terms of technology transfer.
The counsel general also stated that there are currently discussions underway with the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and other companies. He reiterated that if Pakistan wants to receive any assistance, it must apply through proper channels. Apparently, last September, a joint venture was held between both countries but no such issue was raised by the Pakistani authorities, he added.
On the possible import of wheat from Pakistan he was noncommittal. He pointed out that Russia had suffered from drought and an extremely hot summer which had resulted in a poor wheat harvest; he said it depended on whether the Russians could meet all the demand they are faced with and have enough wheat for domestic consumption. When asked on the possible usage of the Gwadar port by Russia which has long desired access to warm waters, he responded that Gwadar is closed for foreigners.
Touching upon investment in Balochistan, a resource-rich region particularly with regard to mining and steel production, the CG replied that Balochistan is rich and that the counsel is willing to draft some ideas for investing in important sectors in the area. Speaking on the Il-76 crash in Karachi, he said the Pakistani authorities are delaying DNA examination of the crew died in the incident; this has greatly upset the families of those who expired in the accident, he underlined.
Casting a light on Russia’s role in the war on terrorism he said that Russia was unequivocally opposed to terrorism and terrorist organisations, but would never consider sending troops to Afghanistan though Russia remains highly concerned by the fluid situation in the region. He expressed his belief that students trained in seminaries propagate religious intolerance.
He also highlighted the threat posed by drugs coming into Russia from Afghanistan and noted that Central Asia is not well equipped to tackle the menace, while drugs are being smuggled to Russia in massive quantities, a significant portion is ultimately destined for Western Europe, he said, adding that the European authorities send the illegal immigrants back to Russia instead to Pakistan, which is another pressing concern.
To a question regarding the viability of the shipping agreement between both countries, he said that the agreement is of negligible worth as not a single ship transporting goods destined for Russia docks at Pakistani ports. He went on to state that the two countries have to increase the trade volume through sea and air links between both the countries, while air traffic is a rather expensive affair as commercial travel is relatively low and that there is a need to boost bilateral cooperation.
The counsel general said that the low level of cooperation between Russia and Pakistan was disappointing as Russia could greatly aid the people and government of Pakistan.
