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“India committed to gas pipeline project”

Washington: India is committed to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said. He is here to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Mr. Chidambaram discussed the issue with Iranian Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Davood Danesh Jafari.

“He asked me about our commitment to the pipeline. I said we remain committed to the pipeline. We would have to sort out one or two issues relating to the transit charges. He urged us to resolve these as quick as possible” Mr. Chidambaram said.

“It is completely doable. We should do it. Iran has the gas and we need the gas. We have a problem on the transit charges and that is a problem India and Pakistan would have to resolve. I don’t know of any other problems. It is a commercial negotiation, a commercial matter and should be dealt with as a commercial matter,” he said.

Mr. Chidambaram also had bilateral meetings with Finance Ministries or deputies from countries, including Russia, Spain, Nepal and Iran. He also had discussions with Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation. — PTI

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