The delegation led by Iranian Vice President Ali Zaire Drew, on the 7th visit to Pakistan, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to promote commitment to the early completion of the gas pipeline project between the two countries. Channels to expand economic cooperation, both sides said it is committed to enhance the bilateral trade volume from the current $ 1.5 billion to $ 5 billion, the Iba natural gas pipeline project is expected to cost $ 7.6 billion. The media here that, from the contents of the talks with the Pakistani side, Iran is eager to Pakistan to expedite the implementation of this project, in order to achieve the export of natural gas to Pakistan.
Iran and Pakistan gas pipeline agreement signed in June 2010, and now encountered in the West to increase sanctions against Iran, and implementation from the outset faced with resistance from the United States.
Since the end of last year, Iran is unprecedented by Western sanctions pressure. Iran on the one hand and the Western game, expressed their willingness to continue negotiations on the nuclear issue. On the other hand, Iran recently is being accelerated to consolidate and expand the pace of trade with neighboring countries in order to find the way to relieve the energy exports to the plight of the Western oil embargo.
According to the the Iba pipeline agreement, Iran is scheduled to provide about 21.5 million cubic meters of natural gas daily to Pakistan since 2014. According to sources, Iba also discussed the financial cooperation as well as currency swaps and other issues. Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, the president also plans to hold the third summit to discuss economic and trade cooperation in combating drug-related crimes, as well as peace talks with the Taliban in Pakistan on the 16th to the 17th of this month.
Pakistan, "News Tribune" quoted U.S. diplomats as saying, "If Pakistan does not give up this project with Iran, will face serious trouble World pipe network reported that the world's steel pipe network to provide the world's steel pipe network editor ," according to the U.S World Pipe network informed. Sanctions Act, "any country, banks and financial institutions. If you try to economic ties with Iran, will be subject to sanctions. " Newland, U.S. State Department spokesman, said that "the United States in the past few months has been expressed to the Pakistani concerns of this natural gas pipeline agreement, the United States will continue to communicate with Pakistan on this.
Pakistan's "national newspaper" reported that Iran Iraq pipeline has been laid to the laying of the pipeline for Pakistan to provide help, but did not specify the help. Zaire Drew said, "the two countries have the ability to promote this region to achieve common interests.
Natural gas exports to accelerate the implementation of the project
U.S. sanctions against Iran, while not giving up contact with
Pakistan's current energy supply is very tight, the capital of Islamabad and other major cities daily power outages for up to five or six hours, in remote areas in more than 10 hours. Bar around the recent spate of strikes and demonstrations with gasoline, natural gas, insufficient supply and price surge related to the Pakistani government, in this case, very much hope from Iran to open up new energy channels not hard to understand.