TEHRAN -- The Iranian petroleum minister’s special envoy for the peace pipeline talks said here Tuesday Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline would confirm Iran as a key player in regional and overseas arenas. Hojjatollah Ghanimifard told reporters the tripartite pipeline that would export gas to Pakistan and India was a significant project, adding, “Such a huge project necessitates years of studies and use of technical, commercial, and legal experts.”

Final agreements on price would pave the way for the finalization of remaining articles of the contract, he added.

The official expressed hope the trio would sign the deal by June 30 and the executive operations would kick off thereafter.

Iran optimistic

A member of Energy Committee of Majlis (parliament) here Tuesday said the willingness of Iran, Pakistan, and India to construct peace pipeline would help the trilateral talks be finalized.

Seyyed Mohsen Yahyavi told PIN the gas pipeline project had faced a delay, but the talks went well thereafter and the executive pipe-laying operations would most likely start after the underway negotiations.

Given the needs of Pakistan and India of Iranian gas, the pipeline would serve the three states’ interests, Petroenergy Information Network (PIN) quoted him as saying.

“We are optimistic about the negotiations and the progress in talks shows that we achieve our objective,” he predicted.

IPI gas line is a proposed 2,775km pipeline project to deliver natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and India. The project is expected to take three to five years to complete and will cost $7 billion.