Oil ministers of Iran, Pak

New Delhi, Jun 19: To expedite the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, oil ministers of these three countries would soon hold a meeting to thrash out several issues like gas pricing, route and framework agreements.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deoras held wide ranging discussions with the Iranian leaders during his participation in the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Conference at Shanghai, China.

Mr Deora called on the President of Iran Mr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and also met Iranian Oil Minister Mr Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh. In these meetings, Shri Deora carried forward the dialogue on issues concerning Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project and the supply of LNG to India under an agreement signed at Tehran in June 2005. The Petroleum Minister emphasised that the implementation of LNG supply agreement between the oil companies of Iran and India needs to be expedited. Iranian President assured Shri Deora on expediting consideration of the issues concerned.

Mr Deora said that the discussions on the issues concerning IPI Pipeline Project like project structure, route, gas pricing, framework agreement, etc., by the three participating countries, are progressing on fast-track.

A Secretary level meeting of the three countries was recently held in Islamabad on IPI Pipeline Project after the Oil Ministers of India, Pakistan and Iran informally discussed the project on the sidelines of the IEF Ministerial Conference at Doha in the last week of April 2006. The oil ministers of the three countries would be meeting after the details for the meeting has been worked out at the Secretary-level discussions.

Mr Murli Deora was accompanied during the discussions by Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan and the Ambassador of India to China Nalin Surie.

UNI