India to sign IPI gas pipeline deal soon: Deora

Jeddah, Jun 23: Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on Monday, June 23 said that India would soon sign an agreement with Iran and Pakistan on the $7.5 billion transnational pipeline project. After meeting his Iranian counterpart Gholam Hussein Nozari here, Deora said that there were some issues with Pakistan, which have been sorted out. 'Some minor problems' in the project have also been solved.

"India has to talk to Pakistan's new oil minister and we hope that the agreement would soon be signed with both countries, " Deora added. The project was first initiated in 1994 but have been stalled by a series of disagreements over prices and transit fees. The Left parties have accused the UPA government of going back on the gas pipeline deal. Murli Deora and Finance Minister P Chidambaram attended the meeting of the World Energy Ministers in Jeddah to discuss strategies to control spiralling crude prices on Sunday, June 22.

ANI