Islamabad, May 27: As momentum for peace between India and Pakistan gathered, Islamabad today said it was willing to give all necessary security guarantees to New Delhi with regard to the 4.5 billion dollar proposed Indo-Iran gas pipeline project to be laid through its soil. "I hope that now when the talks are set to begin with India, so the project would be definitely be on agenda," Petroleum Minister Naurez Shakoor told reporters here.
Shakoor admitted that India has reservations about the security of the proposed 2,500-km pipeline from Iran but Pakistan expects New Delhi to take a second look at it "now the situation is improving."
Pakistan also plans to push India to strongly to join the feasibility report for the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (TAP) project.
Urging India to strongly consider the project, Shakoor said "Pakistan has no objection to expand the pipeline upto India," and stated that Pakistan was willing to give all necessary security guarantees to India.
Asked about offer to India to join the TAP gas pipeline, the minister said the offer still exists and New Delhi's response is awaited. However, he said the project will go ahead even if India refuses to join.
He said feasibility of tap project is expected to be completed by September this year and the petroleum ministers of the three countries will be meeting in Ashkabad in mid-June to discuss progress on the project. Bureau Report