30 November 2016

News Report: Russian Foreign Ministry Denies Any 'Secret' Russia-Pakistan Talks Within CPEC

Russia is not conducting any secret negotiations with Pakistan on CPEC) land trade project, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is not holding secret negotiations with Pakistan within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) land trade project, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

"Reports appearing in Pakistani media about 'secret negotiations' between Russia and Pakistan on the implementation of projects within the framework created by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are untrue," the ministry said. 

Moscow's trade cooperation with Islamabad holds independent value, including through the expected construction of the North-South gas pipeline, the Russian ministry added. The 683-mile Karachi-to-Lahore pipeline, expected to cost some $2 billion, is projected to have an annual capacity of up to 12.4 billion cubic meters of gas.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.