Date: 08 Mar 2000
Time: 07:42:32
Remote Name: 156.29.145.175
03/07/2000 Agence France-Presse (Copyright 2000)
TEHRAN, March 7 (AFP) - Iran and Pakistan reaffirmed Tuesday their commitment to construct a natural gas pipeline between them, the Iranian oil ministry said.
The project for the pipeline to export Iranian natural gas to Pakistan and eventually to India was discussed by Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh and Pakistan's Trade Minister Abdul Razzaq Daud, an official statement said.
Daud was in Tehran to attend the first meeting of trade ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which groups Iran , Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan and former Soviet central Asian states.
The statement quoted Daud as expressing optimism about future trade relations with Iran , saying the proposed pipeline was a top priority.
Other topics of discussion during the meeting included the possibility of constructing an oil refinery in Pakistan.