TEHRAN (PIN) – New round of Iran-Pakistan talks on peace pipeline started here Monday.

The two sides discuss the remaining details of the gas contract.
The third party India has not officially announced its decision on the gas deal, but the latest remarks of Indian authorities showed their interest in resuming negotiations.
The 11th Pakistan-Iran Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project was held in Islamabad last Tuesday.
The two sides held an in-depth discussion on technical, financial, commercial, and legal aspects of the contract which is at the advance stage of finalization.
The Iranian delegation was led by Hojjatollah Ghanimifard, special representative of Iran’s Petroleum Ministry, whereas the Pakistani delegation was led by Farrakh Qayyum, secretary of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources.
According to a joint press statement issued in Islamabad, the discussions between the two delegations on few remaining issues of the documentation were marked by positive and pragmatic approach and were held in an atmosphere of confidence and mutual understanding to achieve the goal of finalization of the contract as early as possible.
The two sides agreed that they had covered a lot of ground on the project agreement at the bilateral level in the last couple of JWG sessions.
The Iranian side stated that the window for Indian participation to join the project may not remain open for an indefinite period on the existing terms and conditions of the project, Pakistan Times reported.
The two sides noted with satisfaction that each of them had initiated work to a certain level on the project as forty percent of the construction of the pipeline within Iran has already been completed to provide gas to the eastern provinces of Iran and Pakistan is about to complete the work to appoint a consultant firm which will initiate the feasibility study of the project within Pakistan territory by the first quarter of the next year.
Besides having substantial delegation level discussions on Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA) and Intergovernmental Framework Agreement (IGFA), the Iranian delegation called on Ahsanullah Khan, minister of petroleum and natural resources, who conveyed the firm support of the government of Pakistan to Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, and urged the two delegations to conclude their discussions on a mutually acceptable terms for the GSPA and IGFA.
The minister reiterated the commitment of the government of Pakistan on the IPI project in view of its strategic importance due to the emerging economic needs of the country and the depleting indigenous gas reserves.