Instead, Deora expressed optimism over the implementation of the project and asserted that his recent two meetings with the Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were quite positive.

“First of all I want to make it clear that the US is not pressurising us on the India-Iran-Pakistan pipeline project. No country can pressurise India. I have already communicated India’s stand in this regard to the US secretary on energy during his recent visit to India,” Deora said. He was responding to a querry over the protest by the NDA and left members in the parliament last week against the letter from the US lawmakers pressing India to back off from its engagements with Iran in order to save the nuclear deal.

It must be mentioned here that the petroleum and natural gas ministry has told the parliamentary standing committee that India has been discussing the gas pipeline project with the Iran and Pakistan governments. A tripartite joint working growup of Iran, Pakistan and India has been formed. Four meetings of the trilateral joint working group have been held, the last meeting being held in January 24 and 25 this year. Iran and Pakistan sides agreed to a pricing formula, subject to the approval by their authorities.

PIN/FINANCIALEXPRESS