India-Pak to hold bilateral talks on IPI on Feb 22-23

They will discuss the issues relating to Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Petroleum officials of India and Pakistan would hold two-day talks beginning from February 22 in Islamabad to discuss the issues relating to Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

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A ten-member Indian delegation headed by Petroleum Secretary, M S Srinavasan is due to hold talks with their Pakistan counterparts on laying of the pipes, transit fee and issues relating to security of the pipeline from Iranian border to that of India, officials said in Islamabad.

Iran would attend the meeting as an observer, they said.

The talks follow Pakistan accepting the $4.93 million British thermal unit (mBtu) price offered by Iran during the trilateral talks held in Tehran last month.

India too favourably considered the price and the Indian officials were expected to discuss Pakistan terms.

The 2,100-km-long pipeline costing about $7 billion was not viewed favourably by United States, which has publicly expressed strong reservations in view of its current standoff with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme.