NEW DELHI, Feb 13 (Bernama) — Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini has said that Iran is interested in the participation of India in Iran-Pakistan gas project dubbed as ‘Peace Pipeline’, Iranian national news agency, Irna, reported Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference held at Iran’s Embassy in the Indian capital city, he said if India does not participate in the project, Tehran will study participation of other countries.
Hosseini made the remarks when asked about joining China to the Peace pipeline.
Hosseini urged India to make its decisions on joining the project urgently.
The 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) pipeline, is to initially deliver around 60 million standard cubic metres per day of natural gas from Iran’s giant South Pars gas.
The project is expected to take three to five years to complete and would cost seven billion dollars.
It is expected greatly benefit both India and Pakistan which are eying for energy to meet their rapidly increasing domestic demand.
The pipeline is proposed to start from Assalouyeh stretching over 1,100 kilometres in Iran itself. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchestanand Sindh.