Iran seeks higher prices for LNG import to India

New Delhi, May 2: The five million tonne LNG import deal to India from Iran has hit a rough patch with Iran today seeking higher price than earlier agreed between the two countries.

At a meeting here between top level Iran officials and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, Iran has sought six dollars per MBTU for their five million LNG import to India, two dollars more than the price earlier agreed between the two countries in Teheran in June, 2005.

Iran has conveyed that it's highest political authority, the Supreme Council will have to give the final verdict on LNG, which was in short supply for India.

Mr Deora said the LNG deal was discussed at the meeting here and said that the deal is not legally binding till the Supreme Council has ratified it.

Led by Deputy Oil Minister Mohammad Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian the Iranian team had visited Pakistan before arriving here yesterday and the two countries had a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting at Islamabad.

In Islamabad, Nejad-Hosseinian urged India and Pakistan -- to push forth the the pipeline project, the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project, to avoid buying oil at exhorbitant prices.

UNI