ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Pakistan signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russian energy firm, Gazprom, to pursue the construction of $3.5 billion trans-Pakistan gas pipeline from Iran to India and to enhance oil and gas cooperation.

Under the MoU, Pakistan has allowed Gazprom to carry out a pre-feasibility study, without surveying and mapping, of the proposed gas pipeline which has to pass through Pakistan’s naval territory, a senior government official told Dawn.

The MoU is the first of a series Gazprom has scheduled to sign with three parties — Pakistan, Iran and India — in the coming two months, diplomatic sources said. It will sign a similar agreement with India when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits New Delhi in December this year and then with Iran in January next year, they said.

Pakistan and Gazprom had agreed over the draft MOU a couple of months ago that could not be signed for various reasons. During a comprehensive briefing on gas import options late last month, President Gen Pervez Musharraf, however, authorised the petroleum ministry to sign the MoU with the largest Russian energy firm, provided it did not insist on surveying and mapping of Pakistan’s territory.

The six-member Russian delegation had arrived here early Monday morning in a low-profile special plane and left for Moscow in the afternoon after holding talks with petroleum minister Usman Aminuddin and signing of the MoU.

Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan remained short of signing a tripartite agreement late last month in Ashkabad to start construction of trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline from Ashkabad to Pakistan’s under-construction Gwadar port.

But officials here said that non-signing of that tripartite agreement had nothing to do with Gazprom’s MoU. They said the trans-Afghanistan pipeline project was in an advanced stage and could not be linked with the Iranian gas under any circumstances.

Gazprom and Pakistan agreed under the MoU to enhance cooperation in oil and gas sector, including conversion of diesel vehicles to compressed natural gas and the privatization process.

The MoU would allow Russian giant to launch a pre-feasibility study on the construction of the pipeline, including routes and economics, and negotiate with international financial institutions for financial support to the project.

President Musharraf, said an official, had asked the petroleum ministry to keep all the options of gas import open and to sign an MoU with Russia for cooperation without undermining the trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan.