ID :
122333
Sat, 05/15/2010 - 23:23
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https://oananews.org//node/122333
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India proposes dates for IPI talks, Iran yet to respond
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) Breaking a two-year chill in
talks over its joining the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline,
India has invited Iran for resumption of dialogue on the long
discussed project but Tehran is yet to respond.
India has proposed a meeting of India-Iran Joint Working
Group between May 23-28 in New Delhi but Tehran has not yet
confirmed the dates, sources in know of the development said.
India has been boycotting project talks since 2008 after
its concerns of safe delivery of gas were ignored. It wants
Iran to be responsible for safe passage of gas through
Pakistan and would pay for the fuel only when it is delivered
at the Pakistan-India border.
Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is scheduled
to visit Iran for the G-15 summit on May 17, and is likely to
discuss the project with his Iranian counterpart on Sunday.
Economic cooperation between members of G-15, a group of
17 developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America,
and a review of international developments will feature in the
high profile summit.
Sources said India had last month proposed dates for JWG
and it was unlikely that the meeting can now happen between
May 23 and 28 because of paucity of time.
The pipeline has been on the drawing board since the
mid-1990s, when Iran and India inked preliminary agreements to
transport gas through Pakistan. It was dubbed the "Peace
Pipeline" because of hopes it would lead to a detente between
neighbours India and Pakistan.
India says it fears for safety of the pipeline in
Pakistan's Baluchistan province, home to a militant Islamist
separatist movement, and wants Iran to take responsibility of
safe passage of gas through Pakistan.
While security concerns and frequent changes in gas
prices kept New Delhi away from the project, Iran and Pakistan
in March signed Inter-Governmental Framework Declaration to
support the gas pipeline. Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement
between National Iranian Gas Export Co (NIGEC) and Pakistan
Inter-State Gas Co has also been concluded.
Sources said Tehran is insisting on transferring
ownership of gas to India at Iran-Pakistan border while New
Delhi wants it to be Pakistan-India border thereby making Iran
explicitly responsible for safe delivery of gas.
While the 1,100-km pipeline from South Pars gas fields in
the Persian Gulf to Iran-Pakistan border would be laid by an
Iranian firm, New Delhi wants to take stake in the 1,035-km
pipeline section in Pakistan.
India feels that its participation in execution of
pipeline in Pakistan would make the project more bankable,
reduce the financing cost, ensure timely execution and ensure
transparent and efficient management of the operations, they
said, adding that Islamabad has so far not agreed to the
proposal. MORE PTI
talks over its joining the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline,
India has invited Iran for resumption of dialogue on the long
discussed project but Tehran is yet to respond.
India has proposed a meeting of India-Iran Joint Working
Group between May 23-28 in New Delhi but Tehran has not yet
confirmed the dates, sources in know of the development said.
India has been boycotting project talks since 2008 after
its concerns of safe delivery of gas were ignored. It wants
Iran to be responsible for safe passage of gas through
Pakistan and would pay for the fuel only when it is delivered
at the Pakistan-India border.
Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is scheduled
to visit Iran for the G-15 summit on May 17, and is likely to
discuss the project with his Iranian counterpart on Sunday.
Economic cooperation between members of G-15, a group of
17 developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America,
and a review of international developments will feature in the
high profile summit.
Sources said India had last month proposed dates for JWG
and it was unlikely that the meeting can now happen between
May 23 and 28 because of paucity of time.
The pipeline has been on the drawing board since the
mid-1990s, when Iran and India inked preliminary agreements to
transport gas through Pakistan. It was dubbed the "Peace
Pipeline" because of hopes it would lead to a detente between
neighbours India and Pakistan.
India says it fears for safety of the pipeline in
Pakistan's Baluchistan province, home to a militant Islamist
separatist movement, and wants Iran to take responsibility of
safe passage of gas through Pakistan.
While security concerns and frequent changes in gas
prices kept New Delhi away from the project, Iran and Pakistan
in March signed Inter-Governmental Framework Declaration to
support the gas pipeline. Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement
between National Iranian Gas Export Co (NIGEC) and Pakistan
Inter-State Gas Co has also been concluded.
Sources said Tehran is insisting on transferring
ownership of gas to India at Iran-Pakistan border while New
Delhi wants it to be Pakistan-India border thereby making Iran
explicitly responsible for safe delivery of gas.
While the 1,100-km pipeline from South Pars gas fields in
the Persian Gulf to Iran-Pakistan border would be laid by an
Iranian firm, New Delhi wants to take stake in the 1,035-km
pipeline section in Pakistan.
India feels that its participation in execution of
pipeline in Pakistan would make the project more bankable,
reduce the financing cost, ensure timely execution and ensure
transparent and efficient management of the operations, they
said, adding that Islamabad has so far not agreed to the
proposal. MORE PTI
