http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-237/0712174304152237.htm
*India targets gas from IPI pipeline by year 2011 * Though there has been an inordinate delay in Iran, Pakistan and India signing deal on Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline, petroleum secretary M S Srinivasan said, India is still targeting that gas will flow through the pipeline by 2011. Initially, Iran, India and Pakistan had decided to sign the deal on the pipeline by June this year. However, during a trilateral meeting in June the three countries could not agree on many issues. This included Iran's insistence on the inclusion of a clause in the agreement by which the gas prices could be revised every three years. But Pakistan and India opposed it, Asian Age reported quoting Srinivasan. Also, India and Pakistan could not agree on the issue of transit fee. An Indian delegation was to go to Pakistan to negotiate transit fee. However, according to petroleum ministry officials the delegation could not go to Pakistan because of the political instability that gripped Pakistan. "Instability in Pakistan is the major factor that made India avoid sending delegations to Pakistan to discuss the issue of transit fee," said the official. After the June meeting, Iran and Pakistan have met many times to reach an agreement but India has refused to join them, as it felt that the bilateral issues between India and Pakistan needed to be resolved first. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
