SummaryCompanies Trial of first cargo a success - ministerPrivate refinery PARCO also asked to buy Russian oil - ministerDiscounted crude a boost amid Pakistan's strained financesISLAMABAD, July 12 (Reuters) - Pakistan is negotiating to buy a second shipment of discounted Russian crude oil, its petroleum minister said on Wednesday, highlighting the success of a first deal in helping the cash-starved nation.
Musadiq Malik told reporters there was no scenario under which the country was "not benefiting" from Russian crude.
"It will still benefit us," he said of the Russian oil.
Malik said private entity Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) had also been asked to import Russian crude.
Islamabad is looking for Russian crude to account for one third of total oil imports.
Persons:
Musadiq Malik, Malik, Asif Shahzad, Shivam Patel, Toby Chopra, Mark Potter
Organizations:
PARCO, Pakistan Refinery Limited, International Monetary Fund, Moscow, Arab Refinery, Energy, United, Thomson
Locations:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Urals, Karachi, Russian, India, China, Ukraine, Moscow, Islamabad, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates