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Iran sees difficulties in implementing gas deal

New Delhi: In a major blow to India's plans to source gas from Iran to meet its energy needs, Teheran on Sunday said there were "difficulties" in honouring the $22 billion contract to sell Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to New Delhi.

"I think both sides found out that there are some specific difficulties to implement the project, the agreement as it is now," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told NDTV in an interview in Teheran.

Iran had, in June 2005, agreed to supply five million tonnes of LNG for 25 years, beginning in 2009-10. It has, since then, not been able to source technology to liquefy gas, a domain of U.S. and European companies that are not inclined to provide the know-how to Iran in view of American economic sanctions.

"I think now both sides understand that it is a little bit complicated because of the changing circumstances from the time when the contract and the agreement were signed," Mr. Mottaki said.

PTI

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