India and Pakistan may discuss a proposed natural gas pipeline originating from Iran during the United Nations summit in September, India's petroleum minister said on Tuesday. Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said India and Pakistan had not discussed the pipeline during peace talks in Agra in July.
"In Agra, the issue could not be discussed. In September, during the UN meeting, they may discuss the gas pipeline," Naik told delegates at the annual Asia-Pacific Petroleum Conference. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf are slated to meet in New York on September 25 on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session. "Our interest is to get gas safely to Indian borders," Naik said. "There is a joint commission which is considering feasibility options of getting gas from Iran through an overland or offshore pipeline." The commission is considering the merits of a proposed 2,500-km pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan, which could help New Delhi meet its energy needs and bring Islamabad juicy transit fees.
It is also looking at a costlier option of a deep-sea pipeline that would circumvent Pakistan. Bureau Report