The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Pakistani Counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday during which they exchanged views on the immediate laying of gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan.
They also underlined cooperation in the fields of electricity, energy and production of wheat, and reviewed bilateral ties and recent international developments.
The 2700-kilometer long pipeline was to supply gas for Pakistan and India which are suffering a lack of energy sources, but India has evaded talks. Last year Iran and Pakistan declared they would finalize the agreement bilaterally if India continued to be absent in the meetings.
According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran's Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project.
The gas will be supplied from the South Pars field. The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 22 billion cubic meters of natural gas per annum, which is expected to be later raised to 55 billion cubic meters. It is expected to cost $7.4 billion.
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Iranian and Pakistani officials in a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York stressed the necessity for the rapid implementation of a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project that is due to take Iran's rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry Pakistan.
News ID 182868
