Iran asks India to join IPI gas pipeline

Tehran——Iran calls for India’s presence for conclusion of Peace Pipeline contract, said Iranian Minister for Oil Gholam-Hussein Nozari. Talking to reporters, he noted that India has emphasized on its participation in the project throughout all of its official declarations.
The Iranian Oil Minister underscored that the future sales of natural gas to India is highly important for Iran and this was one of the topics, which was conveyed to Pakistan by Iran in writing.
India and Pakistan are trying to resolve their difference by cooperating on a pipeline that would bring natural gas from Iran through Pakistan to India. It is economically necessary, environmentally friendly and security enhancing.
Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran, Iqbal Shafkat Saeed, said here on Tuesday that no country has right to deprive other states of scientific progress. In a meeting with several Iranian officials, including MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali-Reza Sheikh-Attar, he stressed that producing nuclear energy is Iran’s inalienable right.
He offered felicitation to Iranian government and nation on the great nuclear achievements and on National Day of Nuclear Technology as well. On Tehran-Islamabad ties, he expressed the hope that bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy, defense, culture and politics would further develop.
He also hoped that inauguration of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would pave the way for expansion of bilateral relations between the two neighboring states. Boroujerdi, for his part, called for promotion of Iran-Pakistan cooperation in all areas and said exchange of visits between the two countries’ officials would help further expand bilateral ties.—Agencies