India has proposed talks with Iran on gas pipeline

NEW DELHI - India has not ruled out participation in the proposed pipeline from Iran’s gas fields through Pakistan and has proposed further talks with Iran on the project, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday.

“As far as IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) pipeline is concerned, I want to reassure parliament that we are still working towards it. It has not been rejected,” Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasada told the house.

He said there were many technical issues which were still to be resolved. “Unless India is assured that its concerns on point of delivery of gas at border, price of gas and security measures are met, we cannot go ahead… It is not possible to give a deadline on when they will be resolved,” he said.

Prasada said the United States had imposed sanctions against economic relations with Iran, but added that India’s links with other countries were purely linked to its own interests.

“India has proposed holding meetings of Indo-Iran Joint Working Group on oil and gas and Indo-Iran special joint working group on the project,” he said.

In April this year, the external affairs ministry said that energy security was of prime concern to India and the pipeline had to be seen in that context.

Iran and Pakistan have signed a bilateral agreement for the gas pipeline. Both countries have said if India does not come on board soon, then China could be roped in as the third party in the pipeline.

–Indo-Asian New Service