ISLAMABAD: In the wake of US sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasised the need of importing wheat from the country. As per reports, the premier has also urged the authorities to engage China in a government-to-government (G2G) urea import arrangement.

China had offered to buy urea on a deferred payment basis at 4.35 percent per year, or about USD2.175 per tonne per month. During a recent cabinet meeting, the prime minister stressed that wheat imports from Russia must be on a G2G basis, and that the quality of the crop consumed in Pakistan must be of a high grade.

Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the US and EU sanctions did not apply to food goods, and that the talks with Russian authorities on wheat imports were on a G2G basis.

She also told the meeting's participants that since these were not binding UN sanctions, the follow-up on the previous government's claim that Russia had agreed to sell fuel oil at a 30% lower price had been made, but no response had been received, as per reports.

Shehbaz asked the industries and production secretary to interact with Chinese authorities and try to negotiate a possible discount on urea imports on a G2G basis.

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