India and Pakistan on Tuesday agreed to accelerate plans to build a $4.16-billion pipeline to bring Iranian gas to South Asia for meeting the huge energy deficits of the two countries.
Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon "agreed that the transnational pipeline projects should be given top priority as there would be substantial advantage to both countries in pursuing and realising cooperation in these projects, to serve their energy security interests, and to create linkages and inter-dependencies for establishing an enduring relationship between the two countries."
The two sides agreed to set up a joint working group at the secretary-level to draw parameters and lay roadmap for the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.
They "agreed to exchange information in regard to the financial structuring, technical, commercial, legal and related issues to realize a safe and secure world class project," the statement said.
Releasing the joint statement, Aiyar said, "we have come to conclusion of a very successful visit to Pakistan. It comes in context of our desire to very considerably strengthen relations with Pakistan in our mutual and joint quest of energy security."
Aiyar, who called on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday morning, said India would also continue to explore options of importing Turkmenistan gas through the
Asian Development Bank -sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline and possibly from Qatar through a pipeline that would run undersea and overland through UAE and Pakistan.
Besides, options of linking gas reserves in Uzbekistan, Khazakhstan and Russia to TAP will also be explored.
With Musharraf blessing the project and pledging to "personally work towards removing all roadblocks", Aiyar said "the success of talks has exceeded the boundaries of my boundless optimism."
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