Russia on Monday accused the US of “publicly, brazenly and arrogantly” threatening countries like India, China and Turkey to stop doing business with it and said washington will now hinder Moscow’s cooperation with Islamabad in the energy sector.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks at a press conference with Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari here.
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“The United States, to almost everyone, publicly, shamelessly and quite arrogantly says that you cannot do business with Russia. Recent threats against China, as well as against India, Turkey and Egypt There is not a single country that the United States would not send such neo-colonial messages,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.
The United States has repeatedly warned countries against doing business with entities subject to US sanctions as Washington cracks down on Russian efforts to evade sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.
“With regard to the United States, they will certainly stand in the way, hindering our deals in the energy sector,” he said.
Bilawal’s first visit to Moscow comes after a high-level Russian delegation led by Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov recently visited Pakistan to explore the possibilities of providing oil to the cash-strapped Pakistan.
The Russian top diplomat said that most countries, including Pakistan, are primarily governed by their national interests.
Lavrov also said that progress is expected soon regarding the negotiations on the construction of the Pakistan Stream pipeline.
“The issue is already in an advanced stage of consideration. I am sure there will be progress in the near future,” he added.
The issue was given special attention during the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation of the two countries held in Islamabad in January 2023, Lavrov said.
Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov had earlier said that Russia is ready to sign the necessary corporate documents for the construction of the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline.
The Pakistan Stream gas pipeline is a Russian proposed pipeline that extends from Karachi to the city of Kasur in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a 1,100 km long project that has been contracted by the Pakistani government to be built by Russia.
During the press conference, Lavrov also accused the West of engaging in “acts of terrorism” against Russia and harming its interests.
Lavrov said, “We are aware of the actions that our Western partners may resort to. Not only secondary sanctions threats but also direct acts of terrorism, as happened with the sabotage of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 Was.”
On September 26, 2022, pressure eased on both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run from Russia to Europe under the Baltic. Three separate spills were reported off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden, a few dozen kilometers apart.
One line of the Nord Stream 2 as well as both lines of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were affected.
Officials from countries in the region have said that sabotage was a possible cause of the incident.
The West and Russia have accused each other of the attack.
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