Shock to India! Russia delivered crude oil to Pakistan for the first time after China’s request
The first consignment of cheap crude oil from Russia has reached Karachi port. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given this information. This is a great news of relief amidst the ongoing inflation in Pakistan and the skyrocketing oil prices. Let us tell you that Pakistan is struggling with huge debt and continuous decline in its currency. In such a situation, getting 45 thousand metric tonnes of crude oil from Russia in the form of the first consignment at cheap prices is no less than a boon. At the same time, it is a big blow for India because the relations between Russia and India have been strong. However, at the behest of China, Russia has now sent a consignment of crude oil to Pakistan as well, which is a challenge to India’s interests.
Pakistan’s PM expressed happiness
Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed happiness over the arrival of the first consignment of cheap oil from Russia in Karachi and tweeted that ‘I have fulfilled another promise I made to the country. It is a pleasure to inform that the first consignment of cheap Russian oil has reached Karachi and its supply will start from tomorrow. It is a day of change. We have moved a step further towards prosperity, economic growth and energy security. The Pakistani PM said that ‘this is the beginning of a new relationship between Russia and Pakistan’.
If everything goes well, then Pakistan can buy one lakh barrels of oil from Russia every day. These days the price of one liter of petrol in Pakistan is around 262 Pakistani rupees. The common consumers of Pakistan are expected to get some relief from inflation due to getting cheap oil from Russia.
Negotiations were going on from December 2022
Talks were going on between Pakistan and Russia since December last year for the purchase of cheap oil. Earlier, Russia refused to give cheap oil to Pakistan at 30 percent discount, but later in January Russia and Pakistan again negotiated and in April Pakistan placed its first order. Last year Pakistan bought 154000 barrels of oil per day. Of this, 80 per cent was procured from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Now Pakistan can buy one lakh barrels of oil per day from Russia. At the same time, after China and India, Pakistan has emerged as the biggest buyer of Russian oil.
Blow for India
This crude oil deal between Russia and Pakistan is a blow to India. In fact, the relations between India and Russia have been strong, due to which Russia had kept a distance from Pakistan, because of which Pakistan was also close to America. But in the changing global scenario, where the relations between India and America are getting stronger, Pakistan has gone into the camp of China. Due to the Ukraine war, many sanctions have been imposed on Russia and it has become isolated. This is the reason why Russia and Pakistan are also coming closer.
