INDIA-IRAN-PAKISTAN: Iran invites India, Pakistan for signing gas deal

Iran has invited India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to Tehran for signing a USD 7.4 billion tri-nation deal on natural gas, supply of which could start from 2011.

The meeting may take place by July end or August, Special Representative of Iranian Petroleum Minister H. Ghanimi Fard told reporters after meeting with Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora in New Delhi.

India's Petroleum Minister will meet his Pakistani counterpart to finalise remaining bilateral issues before the heads of the three nations meet in Tehran for signing the deal.

Earlier, the Petroleum Secretaries of India and Pakistan held two rounds of talks to iron out their differences on the transportation charges and transit fees.

The Indian delegation was led by Petroleum Secretary M. S.

Srinivasan, Pakistani side was headed by his counterpart Ahmed Waqar.

The Iranian delegation was represented by Hajjatollah Ghanimifard, Special Envoy of Iranian Oil Minister.

Islamic Republic News Agency