Indo-Iran gas pipeline will go ahead despite U.S. objections: Indian FM TEHRAN, March 26 (MNA) – Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee signaled Monday that New Delhi intends to go ahead with a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline from Iran via Pakistan despite objections from the United States. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Talks on this pipeline are going on. When I was in Iran, I had categorically mentioned that we are interested in having this pipeline," Mukherjee said in an interview with the NDTV news network.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Now negotiations are going on about the prices," said the minister as carried by AFP news agency. The Indian top diplomat made a two-day visit to Tehran last month.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When asked whether the deal is on despite what the U.S. says, the minister answered: “That is exactly the position.”[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Oil Minister Murli Deora also said last week that India was committed to the project.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The remarks come after a visit to India by U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, who has urged New Delhi to drop the plan.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Talks on the proposed 7.4-billion-dollar project began in 1994 but stalled due to tensions between rivals Pakistan and India but the discussions gathered momentum after the launch of a peace process between them in 2004.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]India and Pakistan have said they want to go ahead with the 2,600- kilometer (1,600-mile) Iranian pipeline project as they need energy to fuel economic growth.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Iran plans to lay a pipeline from the giant South Pars gas field to carry 90 million standard cubic meters per day of gas.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MS/MS[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]END[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MNA [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Now negotiations are going on about the prices," said the minister as carried by AFP news agency. The Indian top diplomat made a two-day visit to Tehran last month.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When asked whether the deal is on despite what the U.S. says, the minister answered: “That is exactly the position.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Oil Minister Murli Deora also said last week that India was committed to the project.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The remarks come after a visit to India by U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, who has urged New Delhi to drop the plan.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Talks on the proposed 7.4-billion-dollar project began in 1994 but stalled due to tensions between rivals Pakistan and India but the discussions gathered momentum after the launch of a peace process between them in 2004.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]India and Pakistan have said they want to go ahead with the 2,600- kilometer (1,600-mile) Iranian pipeline project as they need energy to fuel economic growth.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Iran plans to lay a pipeline from the giant South Pars gas field to carry 90 million standard cubic meters per day of gas.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MS/MS[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]END[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MNA [/FONT]
463675