By IANS
Tehran : A new round of talks on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project will resume here Monday, a special envoy at Iran’s oil ministry has said.
Iranian and Pakistani experts would exchange views on the contract from Sep 24 to 26 and officials from the two sides would discuss the issue on Sep 27, said Hojjatollah Ghanimifard, according to the online edition of Pakistan Times.
Negotiations would continue, if necessary, on Sep 28, he added.
He said the three countries – Iran, Pakistan and India – would soon be launching a new round of talks on the construction of the huge pipeline project to carry Iran’s natural gas to India via Pakistan.
“Negotiations on the completion of the gas pipeline project dubbed ‘Peace Pipeline’ will be held in Tehran soon,” Ghanimifard said.
Pakistan Embassy Commercial Counsellor Jadoon said Petroleum Secretary Farooq Qayyum and Adviser to Prime Minister on Energy Affairs Mukhtar Ahmed would represent Pakistan at the official level talks. He said the subject of price review and other remaining issues would be discussed.
Iran, meanwhile, Saturday expressed impatience with India over the finalising of the multibillion dollar gas pipeline deal via Pakistan, warning that it could go ahead with Pakistan alone if India procrastinated.
Iran’s caretaker Oil Minister Gholam Hussein Nozari said New Delhi and Islamabad were still in discussion over the payment of transit fees for Iranian gas.
He said Pakistani officials were certain to come to Iran next week for talks to finalise the project but the attendance of Indian representatives was still unconfirmed.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has recently said the gas pipeline project is at an advanced stage of negotiations. “We are confident that this project will be launched in the near future. Similarly, we are exploring the possibilities of a pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan, which could be extended onward to India.”