Iran said it hoped all aspects of a $7-billion pipeline to transport natural gas from the country to Pakistan and India would be finalised in next two months.
Russia has supported the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, saying it would help ease risks to global energy security.
Iran and Pakistan have signed a deal in Turkey paving the way for constructing the much- delayed natural gas pipeline that was originally envisaged to extend up to India.
Oil experts from Iran and Pakistan will meet in Teheran on Tuesday to add finishing touches to the $7-billion gas pipeline project linking the two countries as well as India, which is not attending the talks, a media report said.
The India-Pakistan-Iran talks in Tehran, which began on September 24, was not attended by India, who said it will not attend the tri-nation meetings unless transit fee issue is resolved with Islamabad.
The group has taken responsibility for the deaths and kidnappings of more than a dozen Iranian soldiers and officials.
A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale rocked the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday, tremors of which were experienced in North India, including New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.
Differences over pricing of gas has lead to postponement of the first ministerial tripartite meeting between India, Iran and Pakistan on the proposed over $ 7 billion pipeline from Iran.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Islamabad on Thursday on a two-day state visit for bilateral talks and to attend a tri-lateral summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan that will focus on the regional security situation, officials said.
Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project has been found technically possible but its economic viability will depend on the price at which Tehran sells the fuel, said Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel.
Tehran is seeking at least 7.2 dollars per mBtu price for gas it wants to sell to India and Pakistan through the over 7 billion dollar pipeline while New Delhi is willing to pay no more than 4.2 dollars per mBtu for gas delivered at its border.
India is likely to join a consortium involving Iran and Pakistan to build the much delayed $7.4-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline
The move apparently has been triggered by the drastic fall in international crude oil prices which have dived from $147 a barrel in August 2008 to below $40 now. In the old formula, taking crude price at $60 per barrel, the cost of gas at Iran-Pakistan border translated into $4.93 per mBtu. But according to the new formula, gas price will shoot up to $5.9 per mBtu although crude prices have crashed below $40 a barrel.
A Bill has been introduced in the US Congress aimed at enforcing punitive action against companies doing business with Iran that may impact Indo-US nuclear pact and create obstacles for Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.
As tensions mounted in the Persian Gulf, Pakistan on Thursday assured Iran that it will not provide any assistance to American forces in the event of a United States attack on Tehran.
The United States on Wednesday warned Pakistan of "damaging consequences" if it went ahead with the ambitious Iran-Pak gas pipeline, which would be against the global sanctions against Iran.
Stressing the deal is underway, Chidambaram said India has not yet resolved the price of the gas.
India on Wednesday said 'it was unfazed' by American opposition to the Iran-Pak-India pipeline, adding that it would continue to pursue gas imports from Iran to meet its energy requirements.
Pakistan sees it as a 'stand-alone' project, while India sees it as part of a broader economic interaction.
The European Union, which will soon kick-off an energy dialogue with India, has said it is not opposed to a $4.16 billion pipeline project to pump gas from Iran to India through Pakistan.
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