Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will likely to be at the centre stage of short discussion lasting few hours with the arrival of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here on Tuesday.
As is expected the five-hours official visit by Iranian President will chiefly be restricted to the IPI gas pipeline project among other economic side of the relationship between the leader of the two countries with some political issues related to Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.
Besides, India will likely to be assured from Iran for a regular supply of gas through the proposed trilateral gas pipeline. India may tell Iran the pipeline project would be practicable only in case of assured supply of gas.
India will ask about the guarantee of regular supply of gas at the backdrop of experts’ view, which after studying the pipeline project said India need to be assured that Iran would not suddenly stop the supply of gas if it wants to raise the price, or in case of political differences crops up between the two countries. India may like to pen down these assurances.
India will also ask for viable option for more energy investments in Iran, mining, and exploration as well as downstream production possibilities.
During his short trip to India the Iranian President will meet President Pratibha Patil and will hold discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on wide range of issues. Ahmadinejad will also take part in the dinner hosted by Manmohan Singh after his meeting with President Pratibah Patil.
This will be the second meeting between Singh and Ahmadinejad in nearly two years.
The Iranian President’s visit to India may be influenced by the Pakistan’s effort to incorporate China as the fourth beneficiary in the $ 7.5 billion tripartite IPI pipeline project.
New Delhi with its continuous effort to improving relationship with China will openly welcome the possibility of inclusion of China into the project.
India going slow in the gas pipeline project as accused by both Iran and Pakistan renewed its interest in the project after taking note of Iran’s ostensible impatience with India delaying its decision on the project.
Ahmadinejad while showing his interest for the inclusion of China in the project during his short visit to Pakistan on Monday said as per the media report, “Iran was open to China’s participation in the gas pipeline project. The IPI gas pipeline will soon be finalized and my government will also welcome the inclusion of China in the project.”
The inclusion of China as per many experts’ views could be a move to putting pressure on India to move faster on the project.
The Iranian president held discussions with Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf and premier Yousaf Raza Gillani.
The Petroleum Minister Murli Deora recently was in Pakistan to hold discussion with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif on the issue of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. Besides, he also holds talk with Pakistan on Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Gas pipeline project. A major breakthrough was achieved when India returned to the talks after sorted out its differences with Pakistan on transit fee.
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