February 21, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 19, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: The federal minister for petroleum and natural resources, Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor, has said Pakistan can provide technical expertise to boost oil, gas and mineral exploration and development activities in Afghanistan.

The minister made this offer while talking to the visiting delegation from Afghanistan led by minister for mines and industries, Juma Mohammad Mohammadi, who had a detailed discussion with him on prospects of cooperation between the two brotherly Muslim countries.

He said their existed tremendous scope of interaction between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the speedy rehabilitation and reconstruction of that country.

The Afghan delegation is currently on a visit to Pakistan to participate in the trilateral oil minister’s meeting on the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan gas pipeline project scheduled to be held on Saturday.

The petroleum minister said Pakistan was endowed with vast oil, gas and mineral resources and the government was making concerted efforts to explore and exploit them at a fast pace.

Mr Shakoor besides extending technical cooperation in oil, gas and mineral sector also offered Pakistan-Afghanistan joint efforts to eliminate cross border Iranian oil smuggling.

The petroleum secretary, Abdullah Yousaf, on the occasion, briefed the Afghan delegation on Pakistan’s oil, gas and mineral development activities, active promotion of LPG/CNG fuel to substitute imported oil.

He said all out efforts were being made to promote indigenous resources to cut down oil import bill. He hoped that by the availability of one billion cubic feet gas per day in the country from the newly discovered fields by the end of this year, Pakistan would save about 700 million dollars per annum.

Reciprocating his sentiments, the Afghan minister expressed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for extending full support and cooperation for the speedy rehabilitation and development of Afghanistan.