Iran mulls trilateral meet on gas pipeline

Asian News International:

Iran is reportedly contemplating to hold a trilateral meeting with India and Pakistan to discuss the proposed multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project. READ MORE

According to the Online News, Iran has invited Pakistan Minister of Petroleum Amanullah Khan Jadoon to attend the meeting that Indian Oil Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar would be holding with Iranian authorities to define strategies for the gas pipeline.

Aiyar is scheduled to visit Iran next month. The issue of price of gas might come up for discussion during the meeting, the report said quoting the Tehran Times.

"It is still premature to talk about the prices of gas, and we will discuss this issue in the next meeting," Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company, Roknoddin Javadi, reportedly said.

The 2600-km overland pipeline project with an estimated cost of about 4.5 billion dollars has been strongly opposed by the US because of its concern about Tehran's nuclear programme.

The pipeline negotiations began in 1994 but made little headway because of tensions between Pakistan and India.