New Delhi, Tehran To Speed Up Gas Pipeline Plan

The $5 billion project came up for discussions between the visiting Indian vice-president K R Narayanan and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Habibi. Delegations of the two countries held talks on the possibilities of broadening cooperation in areas of economy and trade.

The two sides felt hydrocarbons and transport were the two sectors for immediate cooperation between the two countries that would help in implementing the project which is still in a nascent stage.

Both the countries had signed a memorandum of understanding a few years ago to prepare a feasibility report for the project. Iran accounts for 15 per cent of the worlds proven gas reserves.

 

Briefing newsmen on the talks between Narayanan and Habibi on Tuesday night, an external affairs ministry spokesman said both the sides emphasised the need for greater economic cooperation.

Narayanan, who is on a six-day visit to the country, hailed the recent completion of the Iran-Turkemenistan rail project and said more such ventures should be taken up to increase cooperation between India, Iran and the central Asian republics.

India, Iran and Turkemenistan had signed a three-way MoU on international road and rail transport and transit in April 1995.

Both the sides agreed cooperation between the regional countries would be the best way for maintaining peace in the region. The leaders were of the view that regional groupings like Saarc, Asean and ECO would help promote relations between regional countries.

The Indian side felt the rail-road linking Iran and Turkmenistan was vital to many regional countries including India to have access to central Asian republics. As part of greater regional cooperation, Habibi suggested cooperation between the economic cooperation organisation (ECO) and Saarc.

Narayanan underlined the efforts being made in Saarc for removing trade barriers among member countries. The Afghanistan problem was not directly raised at the two-hour long talks, but both sides spoke of discouraging destabilisation in the region. Zafar Hilali, an envoy of the Pakistani prime minister, had recently been in Tehran for talks with the Iranian leaders.

India and Iran also signed agreements for greater cooperation in areas of science, technology and culture.The agreement on science and technology envisages exchange of experts in these fields.

Habibi said cooperation between the two countries was important because the developed countries were not allowing transfer of advanced technology to the developing countries.

Narayanan also referred to the immense potential for exchange of technology since India is strong in industrial managerial, scientific and technological know-how.