Pak, Iran resolves issues on pipeline project

Islamabad: Pakistan and Iran resolved all issues regarding the $7.5 billion gas pipeline project, paving way for inking an agreement soon at a mutually agreed date in Tehran. Iran also agreed to provide 1100 MW of electricity to Pakistan to help it overcome the shortage, particularly in areas adjoining Iran.

President Pervez Musharraf and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in over an hour long talks at the Aiwan-e-Sadr deliberated on their bilateral ties, issues faced by the region and the Islamic world and the trilateral cooperation between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan with a view to bringing peace and stability to the region.

The Iranian president who made a brief 'official stopover' at Pakistan, while on his way to Sri Lanka, led a high-level delegation including its Foreign and Commerce ministers, besides its minister for Petroleum and head of EXIM Bank of Iran. He is due to arrive in India on Tuesday.

The two leaders held an exclusive meeting. Later, they were joined by their respective delegations. Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi later told reporters that the talks were positive and covered all aspects of their wide ranging relationship. 'The two leaders said the IPI project will promote peace and friendship,' Qureshi said and added that the two foreign ministers had been tasked to agree on a mutually convenient date for signing the agreement.

He said the two leaders expressed satisfaction over the resolution of all issues that had delayed a final agreement and hoped the project would help meet future energy needs of Pakistan. Iran also gave a positive response about the Pakistani proposal for allowing a gas pipeline through its territory to provide gas to China, along the historic Karakoram Highway, to help it meet its growing industrial needs, Qureshi said.

'And they recognised that all outstanding issues have been resolved and Iranian president will soon invite Pakistani president to visit Tehran where an agreement will be signed.'

If all goes well, construction could start next year and the pipeline, linking the world's second largest gas reserves to the fast growing South Asian economies, could be completed by 2012. It would initially transport 60 million cubic metres of gas (2.2 billion cubic feet) daily to Pakistan and India, half for each country, but capacity would be raised later to 150 million cubic metres.

Talks on the 2,600-kilometre (1,615-mile) Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline began in 1994 but have been stalled by tensions between India and Pakistan and disagreements over transit fees.

The Iranian president said his country would provide 1100 MW of electricity to Pakistan to help it meet its needs, particularly in Gwadar and adjoining areas. Currently Iran is providing 35 MW for areas adjoining the Pak-Iran border. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and stressed that peace and stability was vital for the region.

President Musharraf and President Nejad reviewed their economic relations and said that they needed to be further upgraded to bring these at par with their political and diplomatic ties.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the two countries already had a Preferential Trade Agreement and a Joint Investment Company and hoped the trade would soon touch the US one billion dollar mark. About Pakistan's stance on Iran's nuclear issue, he said, 'we support Iran's use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, under the IAEA guidelines.'

During the talks President Musharraf was assisted by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf and senior officials. The Iranian delegation including Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Commerce, the Vice President and Chairman of Archaeology and Tourism Department and Deputy Ministers for Water and Power and Petroleum assisted President Ahmedinejad.

Earlier, the Iranian President upon arrival at the Aiwan-e-Sadr was received by Preside