Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on Friday began talks with his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon on the multi-billion dollar Iran gas pipeline project, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported here.

The main focus of Deora's first ministerial level engagement since he took charge last month is to evolve a consensus on the project with major issues like structure, gas pricing and transit fee still to be resolved.

The possibility of Pakistan permitting export of Indian diesel will also be discussed.

"We consider this an important event as Pakistan has decided to come to the table so soon after Deora took office. There is eagerness on both sides to have this world-class project," Petroleum Secretary M.S. Srinivasan had said ahead of Jadoon's arrival Thursday, according to IANS.

While some progress has been made in the Iran pipeline project, issues like pricing of gas, project structure and other legal, technical and financial issues still need to be ironed out at trilateral level.

Jadoon, who last visited India in November 2004 as part of a delegation of Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, is heading a 12-member team.

Source: Xinhua