Writing for Business Recorder, Mustaq Ghumman reports that according to well-informed sources, Pakistan and the United States are scheduled to hold an “Energy Security Dialogue” on March 15, 2023, in Islamabad to discuss a range of issues, including TAPI, CASA-1000, US LNG procurement, and concerns related to the purchase of Russian oil. Geoffrey Pyatt, the US Department of State’s Energy Resources Assistant Secretary, will head the US delegation, while the US Ambassador to Pakistan has requested that the Minister for Power Division, Khurram Dastgir Khan, give the opening remarks.
The US Embassy in Islamabad has contacted the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) to confirm whether the proposed date is suitable for hosting the delegation and the dialogue. The US has expressed its concerns regarding the outstanding issues related to the resolution of five wind-power projects financed by DFC, which is expected to be one of the top agenda items.
During the dialogue, both sides are also anticipated to discuss the US-Pakistan Green Alliance, which aims to jointly address the challenges of climate, energy, and the economy.
Furthermore, the US Embassy has asked Pakistan for assistance in the rehabilitation of Ukraine’s power system, which has been affected by Russia’s targeting of Ukrainian plants. The US is spearheading an effort, with partner countries and the G-7, to secure the necessary support for Ukraine, and the US side has shared a list of hundreds of equipment and asked for any form of energy equipment or financial support in this regard. The matter was also raised with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during his visit to Washington in December 2022, and the Foreign Minister has requested that the availability of the equipment be checked and feedback be provided accordingly.
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