India, Pakistan, Iran to meet next week for pipeline talks

New Delhi: India, Pakistan and Iran are set to meet next week to discuss the next step in a $7.6 billion gas pipeline project linking the three countries, India's oil secretary said on Monday.

"Bilateral issues have more or less been resolved," M.S. Srinivasan told reporters, adding he expected Pakistan to support India's stand on the delivery point for the gas.

Iran had said the delivery would be at the Iran-Pakistan border, while India wants it to take place further east at the India-Pakistan frontier, Srinivasan said.

"In our bilateral with Pakistan on April 24, Pakistan said they have no problem with our stand and they will also attend the trilateral meeting and they will help us," he told reporters.

Construction for the pipeline is said to begin next year and last till about 2012.