TEHRAN, 25 September 2007 — Iran and Pakistan yesterday started a new round of talks over finalizing a long-delayed multibillion dollar gas pipeline project with India, but in the absence of Indian officials.
Officials said India’s absence was linked to its lack of agreement on pricing terms with Pakistan for the so-called “Peace Pipeline,” which aims to usher in a new era of cooperation between the three countries.
“Iranian and Pakistani experts are going to finalize the terms of the agreement which will then be signed by the presidents of the two countries,” the state news agency IRNA reported.
“The Indian side is not taking part in these discussions as India and Pakistan have still not come to an agreement on the price for the transit of gas through Pakistan,” the agency quoted an Iranian official as saying.
Discussions on the $7.4-billion project started in 1994, but have been held up by technical and commercial issues, as well as US displeasure over major economic deals with Iran at a time of tensions over its nuclear drive.
The negotiations are going ahead at “expert” level over the next days and on Thursday the deputy oil ministers of the two countries are to meet in Tehran to examine the results of the discussions, IRNA said.
Caretaker Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari had warned last week Iran was prepared to sign with Pakistan alone if India did not speed up.
“If we believe that a serious delay has occurred with the Indians, we will go ahead with the Pakistanis,” he said.
