The Hindu : International : We again welcome India to join gas pipeline project: Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005

International

International

We again welcome India to join gas pipeline project: Pakistan

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 12. Pakistan tonight reiterated its invitation to India to join the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline.

After maintaining that it had decided to opt for the Iran gas pipeline irrespective of whether India wanted to be a part of it, Pakistan recently said that it was keeping its options open on meeting its gas requirements.

The proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline came under a cloud after the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said that Washington would not like India and Pakistan to pursue the pipeline due to the U.S. differences with Teheran.

"We will welcome India to join TAP. They are welcome if they join the project but Pakistan will go ahead with the projects even if India does not join," Pakistan's Petroleum Minister, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, said after a TAP ministerial meeting was held here today to examine the feasibility of the 1600-km long project costing around $3.5 billion.

The Minister said the "southwest route (from Turkmenistan) is feasible for the gas line as it is not mountainous and the route is plain. The Asian Development Bank is also involved in the project."

The two-day meeting reviewed the feasibility study about the extent of gas reserves in Daulatabad gas fields and the security for the gas pipeline to be laid from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

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