By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : India is unlikely to attend a meet called by Iran next week to finalise the long-delayed IPI gas pipeline as it wants to settle the transit fee issue with Islamabad before signing the multi-billion dollar deal.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora is unlikely to visit Tehran on February 12-13 for the tri-lateral meet on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, a source close to the minister said.
Deora would instead make a visit to Islamabad sometime after general elections in Pakistan to settle the issue.
“A meeting in Islamabad was proposed on the sidelines of the Steering Committee meeting of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project on February 13-16 but the meet is not happening because of elections in Pakistan,” the source said.
Iranian Ambassador to India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh said an invitation for the next week’s meeting has been sent.
“If we get a positive response, a meeting can be held on February 12 or 13.” New Delhi has since July 2007 boycotted tri-lateral meeting on the pipeline project pending resolution of the transit fee issue with Pakistan.
While the two neighbours are in agreement with the charge for transporting the gas through a 1,035-km pipeline length in Pakistan, differences continue on the issue of payment of a separate transit fee to Islamabad for use of its territory for passage of the fuel.
The source said the price of gas has been agreed upon by the three nations but Iran’s demand for revision every five years has to be settled for signing of any deal.