India-Iran-Pak meet on pipeline postponed

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.

The energy ministers of the three countries were to meet in Tehran next month to finalise modalities for implementation of the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project. The meeting will now be held in July-August, official sources said.

The secretary-level talks on the pipeline, held in Islamabad earlier this week, could not reach a common ground on pricing of gas with Iran finding the joint price offered by India and Pakistan too low.

Officials of the three countries will meet again in New Delhi in the second week of July to reach a consensus on the issue, paving way for the ministerial conference where the three sides are expected to sign a tripartite treaty.

Sources said while Tehran was seeking a price of $7.2 per million Britsh thermal unit (mBtu), New Delhi was not willing to pay anything more than $4.25 per mBtu price of gas delivered at its border.

India wants to import 90 million standard cubic meters of gas per day from Iran through the 2100-km long pipeline while Pakistan has indicated a requirement of upto 60 mmscmd.