Pakistan paid for its first government-to-government import of Russian crude oil with Chinese currency, the country's petroleum minister said on Monday.

The purchase, the first government-to-government deal between Pakistan and Russia, consisted of 100,000 tons, according to Pakistan's petroleum minister Musadik Malik.

Pakistan made the purchase back in April.

Pakistan's Refinery Limited will initially refine the Russian crude, the minister said. He had earlier referred to the purchase of the shipment as a trial run to judge the financial and technical feasibility, but said on Monday to Reuters that all the tests and trials had been done, which found that the Russian crude was fit to refine and market locally.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn