September 08, 2008

India to skip IPI gas pipeline meet in Iran

PTI reported that India is skipping crucial tri nation talks on the USD 7.4 billion Iran Pakistan India gas pipeline beginning at Tehran in Iran due to unresolved issue of transit fee with Pakistan.

The report cited a top union petroleum ministry official as saying that “We have communicated to Mr H Ghanimifard Iran’s petroleum ministry’s special representative and Mr Farrakh Qayyum Pakistan’s petroleum secretary that we will not be attending the trilateral meeting unless bilateral issues are resolved with Pakistan.”

Mr S Sundareshan India’s additional secretary in ministry of petroleum and natural gas said that “As we have stated in the past, the bilateral issues between India and Pakistan, including inter alia the transit fee for the passage of gas through Pakistan, need to be resolved first. We feel that a bilateral meeting between India and Pakistan should precede the proposed trilateral meeting.”

Iran had called a meeting of technical experts and lawyers from the 3 countries during September 24th to September 26th 2007 to exchange views on the gas supply contract that India and Pakistan. Officials of the 3 countries were to then discuss the issue on September 27th 2007.

Iran, meanwhile has expressed impatience with India over finalizing of the multi billion dollar gas pipeline deal via Pakistan, warning that it could go ahead with Pakistan alone if India procrastinated.