Azernews.Az

India can still join the peace pipeline project, Deputy Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Tuesday.

Once the pipeline's construction finishes, India will surely start negotiation to join the project, Mehr news agency quoted Owji as saying.

"We're also holding talks with several Chinese companies over exporting gas and LNG to Beijing through the pipeline," Owji explained.

The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, projected to cost 1.2-1.5 billion dollars, would enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis.

The pipeline stretches from the border between the two countries to the Navabshah region in Pakistan, and covers 781 kilometres of its total length of 1881 kilometres.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Moazzam A. Khan said that the IP project would be a main solution to Pakistan's energy shortage.

Discussions between the governments of Iran and Pakistan started in 1994. A preliminary agreement was signed in 1995.

This agreement foresaw construction of a pipeline from the South Pars gas field to Karachi in Pakistan. Later Iran made a proposal to extend the pipeline from Pakistan into India. In February 1999, a preliminary agreement between Iran and India was signed.

In April 2008, Iran expressed interest in China's participation in the project. In August 2010, Iran invited Bangladesh to join.

In 2009, India withdrew from the project over pricing and security issues.

However, in March 2010 India called on Pakistan and Iran for trilateral talks to be held in May 2010 in Tehran.