Indian and Pakistani officials on Wednesday tentatively agreed to start building a US$4 billion (euro3.35 billion) pipeline late next year that would bring Iranian natural gas to India through Pakistan. "The speed and the spirit with which we are going ahead, I understand work on the project can start in 2006," Pakistan's petroleum secretary Ahmed Waqar said after two days of talks. The talks, which were held despite U.S. objections to the deal, focused on financing the 2,775-kilometer (1,735-mile) pipeline, pricing and sharing the gas, and security, Waqar said. He said both sides would meet again in late August, when they hope to adopt a "framework agreement" on the project. "This is the first time we have held detailed discussions on the technical, financial and legal aspects of the project," said Sushil Chandra Tripathy, India's petroleum secretary, according to a report of The Associated Press. Both sides have agreed to appoint international consultants to work out the details of project finances, Tripathy said. "I hope we can reach a financial closure by the end of 2006, or early 2007. After that it would take three, or three and half, years to get the pipeline ready."
