Aiyar to visit Pakistan for pipeline talks

With Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz stating on Friday that the petroleum ministers of India and Iran would be visiting the country in the next few weeks, officials said today the prospects of a natural gas pipeline from Iran had brightened.

Officials said Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar was likely to finalise dates for a Pakistan visit shortly.

According to a recent Cabinet decision, the petroleum and natural gas ministry would now take a lead role in carrying out negotiations for three transnational pipelines, including the one from Iran.

India is looking at natural gas exports from Iran though Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran have already reached an understanding for piped gas, which can be expanded to feed the Indian market.

Aziz had welcomed the Indian Cabinet's decision to become part of the proposed gas pipeline without attaching any conditions by stating that it had "vindicated our principled stand".

"During my visit to India, I had offered Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an energy corridor. I told him that both India and Pakistan needed gas to meet their requirements. It (gas) could be imported from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan or directly from Iran. Another option of importing gas from Qatar was also discussed," he reportedly said.