Natural Gas Pipeline project with Pakistan, India, Iran on 
Balaji Reddy, Special Correspondent
January 27, 2005

According to Wall Street Journal, Pakistan is accelerating talks with India aimed at building a gas pipeline that would link Iran, Pakistan and India, said Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

According to Aziz, he will make the 3.1 bln eur (4.05 bln usd) plan a priority in talks scheduled during February 6-7 in Bangladesh with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which will take place during a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation chaired by Pakistan.

According to the Pak PM, this will provide Pakistan the necessary Gas she needs and will also bridge the necessary gap in recent confidence building measures with India.

"I have always said that if we create mutual linkages and mutual dependencies, that helps the overall political framework," Aziz said. He said Singh expressed "good interest" in recent talks, and that Iranian officials are "enthusiastic" about the project, which he said would need funding from international investors.

Given the average 7 pct economic growth rate in both countries, Aziz said Pakistan's offer of "an energy corridor through Pakistan to India" is justified by the increasing needs of both countries for imported energy. A third of the gas would serve Pakistan and the rest would go to India.