Pakistan is in talks with Russia on th🎶e possib♑ility of importing oil on deferred payment, according to a media report on Sunday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had three meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of tꦅhe Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand city, which concluded last week, the Express Tribune newspaper reported quoting a top government official.
";One🍃 was formal and the rest were informal," said t꧑he official, who was part of the prime minister’s delegation.
"What we have discusse𒆙d during the recent interaction with the Russian side is the possibility of importing oil on deferred payment," the official said, adding that Moscow has shown an inclination to consider the proposal.
If the proꩲposal is materialized, it will be a landmark development given that Pakistan imports oil from Gulf countries, and in past Saudi Arabia an🦹d UAE supplied Pakistan oil on deferred payment.
However, it is not clear if the government can pursue the option given the likely opposition from൩ the United States.
A source in the foreign office disclose📖d that the US has never explicitly asked Pakistan not to import oil from Russia but "advised us that it is better if we don't enter into such a venture with Russia", the report said.
(Inputs from PTI)
