By IRNA,
Islamabad : China has shown interest to expand the multi-billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference on return from visit to China, the Foreign Minister said that discussions were also held with Chinese officials to lay oil pipeline between the two countries.
President Pervez Musharraf during his this week visit to China called for extending the India-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline to China.
“We call it IPI pipeline. Why can this not be IPC pipeline? Iran- Pakistan-China pipeline also?” Musharraf said on April 14 while addressing students at a Beijing university.
Remarks from Pakistani leaders came ahead of the visit to Pakistan by Indian Petroleum minister Murli Deora who is due in Islamabad on April 23.
Indian media has quoted Deora as expressing optimism that the $7.4 billion IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) ) pipeline will gain momentum during his Pakistan visit.
The $7.4 billion, 2,100 km Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline oject has hit roadblocks over pricing and access issues.
India was formally inducted into the IPI project in June 2005 after signing of the heads of agreement.
Issues like levy of transit fee by Pakistan, pricing of gas, security concern and pipeline route were ailing this project.
But the major issue was levy of transit fee to be paid to Pakistan by India.
India wanted to resolve this major issue before proceeding further.
It has not been attending meetings called for discussion on the IPI project since mid-2007.
Islamabad is seeking $0.493 per million British thermal unit (mBtu) as transit fee while New Delhi has offered $0.15 per mBtu for providing security and right of way to the pipeline.