India to give dates next week for trilateral talks on IPI

In a bid to revive the Iran- Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, India will next week specify dates for restarting dialogue between the three nations, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Seifollah Jashnsaz said.

"(Petroleum Minister) Murli Deora has promised that by next week they (India) will specify dates for holding trilateral talks," he said.

The trilateral ministerial-level meeting, the first in over two years since India boycotted talks over gas supply issues, is likely to be held in December.

"Deora will suggest dates for holding the trilateral meeting in New Delhi in December," Jashnsaz, who met Deora on Monday, said.

New Delhi last attended a trilateral ministerial meeting on the project in 2007 and has not even held any bilateral dialogue in the past 18-months. India wants Iran to guarantee safe delivery of the gas through Pakistan and is also upset at the frequent changes Tehran has made in the gas price.

Iran and Pakistan have this year signed a bilateral agreement to sell gas from the giant South Pars field in the Persian Gulf through a pipeline. If India joins the project, the pipeline would be extended to Rajasthan border.

Petroleum Ministry official said India was willing to participate in the $7.4-billion pipeline project Iran guarantees safety of the pipeline in Pakistan.