The Hindu : Front Page : Iran: won’t wait indefinitely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
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Iran: won’t wait indefinitely

Atul Aneja

DUBAI: Iran has warned that it would finalise the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline deal with Pakistan and not wait indefinitely for India’s decision on participation in the project.

“Pakistani officials are certain to come to Iran next week for talks to finalise the deal but it is not clear whether Indian representatives will also participate in the talks,” Iran’s caretaker Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said.

“Iran’s preference is to have tripartite negotiations, but the trend seems to be moving faster with the Pakistanis,” Mr. Nozari observed.

“The Pakistanis and Indians are having discussions about the transit fees. If we come to the conclusion that a considerable delay is expected from the Indians, we will go ahead with the Pakistanis," he said.

Earlier, Hojjatollah Ghanimifard, the Iranian Minister of Petroleum’s special envoy for the pipeline project, had announced that a new round of trilateral talks would be held in Tehran in late September.

Hojjatollah Ghanimifard had told Petroenergy Information Network that Iranian and Pakistani experts would exchange views on the contract from September 24 to 26 and talks could prolong till September 28.

The 2,600-km-long pipeline is expected to cost $7.4 billion. According to Iranian projections, the project could be completed by 2010.

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