No problems on gas pipeline project: Pakistan

Islamabad, Mar 29 (UNI) India and Pakistan will soon finalise the 7.3 million dollar Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project and there has been no differences on the issue between the two countries, a senior Pakistan Petroleum Ministry official said here.

There are no differences between the two countries over the gas transportation tariff and transit fee,'' the Daily Times quoted today Ahmed Waqar, Federal Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Resources, as saying.

Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources, told mediapersons that Iran, Pakistan and India were committed to the 2,600 kilometers long gas pipeline project.

''The recent Indian announcement that it was committed to this project for its national requirement has encouraged us,'' he said.

It was announced at the conclusion of the Indo-Pak Joint Working Group on IPI gas pipeline project last month that India and Pakistan had exchanged their proposals on transit fee and transportation cost, and pledged to respond to each other by March 15, to conclude the related agreements at the earliest.

Iran, Pakistan and India have already agreed that the drafts prepared by them on the gas price agreement, joint declaration and framework agreement would be exchanged to reach a consensus at the earliest.

These agreements and other documents would be finalised by the end of April for submitting to the Joint Working Group meeting, which is to be held in May for a final technical review. The agreement on the IPI project will be signed by June to enter into an implementation phase.

UNI