TEHRAN (FNA - January 15, 2016)- Pakistani Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi underlined the vital importance of Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline for the energy-hungry country, and vowed to do his best to accelerate completion of the remaining part of the pipeline in Pakistan's soil.
"Pakistan is aware that gas pipeline from Iran will be the best option to meet its energy needs," Khaqan Abbasi told reporters on Friday.
He reiterated that as soon as the sanctions will be lifted, Pakistan will work on the project.
Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the construction of the border part of the multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project in March, 2013.
The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his former Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari at the two countries' shared border region in Iran's Southeastern city of Chabahar.
The 2700-kilometer long pipeline was to supply gas for Pakistan and India which are suffering a lack of energy sources, but India has evaded talks. In 2011, Iran and Pakistan declared they would finalize the agreement bilaterally if India continued to be absent in the meeting.
Iran has already built 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its own soil and is waiting for the 700-kilometer Pakistani side of the pipeline to be constructed.
The IP pipeline is designed to help Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs at a time when the country of over 180 million people is grappling with serious energy shortages.
According to the project proposal, the pipeline begins from Iran's Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the South and stretches over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project.
[END REPORT]
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