Petroleum secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold two-day talks here starting from Thursday to discuss modalities of the multi-billion-dollar Indo-Iran gas pipeline through Pakistan. | |
| A five-member delegation of Indian gas experts led by Petroleum Secretary SC Tripathy is arriving here tomorrow to attend the second Pakistan-India joint working group (JWG) meeting on September 8 and 9 to discuss the modalities for the pipeline project. |
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| The JWG would discuss issues relating to framework agreement, land acquisition, reserve certification gas demand in India and Pakistan, and transit fee, project structure, gas pricing mechanism, pipeline size and other related subjects, local "online" news agency quoted Pakistani officials as saying ahead of the meeting. |
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| Pakistan has identified around a dozen transit pipeline contracts to stake its claim for the transit fee for the 2,670-km pipeline from Iran's South Paras field to India. |
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| India was expected to submit a draft text of a framework agreement to the Pakistani side before the meeting. Both sides are likely to sign the agreement during the meeting. |
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| Meanwhile a delegation of Russian firm Gazprom will visit Pakistan early next month to begin discussions to lead a consortium for the construction of the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, local daily Dawn reported. |
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| Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller Borisovich would lead the delegation to Islamabad on October 6 and remain here for three days to hold talks with the top leaders, besides officials of the petroleum ministry and gas companies, sources told the paper. |
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