Pakistan, Iran form joint team to cover all aspects of pipeline deal

Joint Working Group to cover all technical, legal, financial and commercial sectors of the deal.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran showed a deeper commitment to getting the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project off the ground after both countries formed a Joint Working Group (JWG) to cover all technical legal and financial aspects of the project in light of US sanctions.

A meeting of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Committee on Oil, Gas and Energy held in Islamabad on Wednesday discussed the status of bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sectors.

The Iranian team was headed by Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs to Minister for Petroleum, Dr Ahmad Khalidi and Pakistani team was headed by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources Abid Saeed.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest particularly the energy sector.

The Iranian side expressed its intention to invest in the energy and petroleum sector including investment in the upstream and midstream. The Iranian side also invited Pakistani companies to invest in energy and petroleum sector in Iran.

The two sides decided to form a JWG which would involve experts from technical, legal, financial and commercial sectors to work out the details with respect to the implementation of the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project despite US sanctions restricting dealings with Iran in the energy sector.