India, Pak oil ministers to take up Iran pipeline project

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New Delhi, June 3: Petroleum ministers from India and Pakistan will, for the first time, hold formal discussions on the proposed Iran-India gas pipeline project via Pakistan. However, petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar clarified that no conclusive talks should be expected from his visit to Pakistan.

“The Cabinet on February 9 had mandated me to hold discussions with countries in our immediate neighbourhood possibilities of import of natural gas through pipelines. My discussions on this project with Pakistan will mark the commencement of a historic change in India-Pakistan relations,” he said.

In addition to this project, India may also evince interest to invest in the proposed privatisation of Pakistan’s oil sector.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of his tour to Pakistan, Mr Aiyar said, “I intend informing the concerned authorities on India’s participation in Pakistan’s oil sector. However, my discussions will be very primitive and a non-commital opening may be made for Indian investment in Pakistan’s hydrocarbon sector.”

On the Iran-Pak-India gas pipeline project, Mr Aiyar said he was not going to negotiate any kind of an agreement with Pakistan at this juncture. However, he did not rule out the possibility of the project being executed under a trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Pakistan.

“Presently, the gas pipeline project is being discussed on a bilateral basis between India and Iran but as a bilateral agreement has trilateral implications, so at the end there may be a possibility of this bilateral agreement becoming a trilateral deal,” he said.