November 03, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 4, 1429

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari met in Tehran on Sunday and decided to set up a trilateral mechanism at petroleum ministers’ level to resolve various issues relating to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

Speaking at a meeting of the India-Iran Joint Commission, Mr Mukherjee said: “We have reiterated to the Iranian government at all levels that India remains committed to the IPI project. We are working with Pakistan to resolve outstanding issues pertaining to transit and transportation tariff. With the cooperation of all three sides, it should be possible to finalise the project.”

Media reports, quoting the Indian official spokesman, said that a meeting of the petroleum ministers of the three countries would be convened soon.

Earlier, speaking at a seminar on “India and Iran: Ancient civilisations and modern nations”, Mr Mukherjee said that the basic imperative of the India-US civil nuclear agreement was the same that bound us to the IPI gas pipeline. “Our energy needs are too large to be met from any one single source,” he added.

Expressing desire to address issues with Pakistan, he said that in recent years India had pursued a policy of positive and substantial engagement with Islamabad. “Peace, stability and development in Pakistan and our immediate neighbourhood are in the interest of India, Iran and our region, enabling us to concentrate on economic development.”

He said terrorism now constituted one of the most serious threats to global peace.—APP