Pakistan has asked Iran for $2 billion in financing to build its side of a controversial gas pipeline that has drawn threats of U.S. sanctions, Islamabad's petroleum minister said Tuesday.
Pakistan
has
asked
Iran
for
$2 billion in financing to build its side of a controversial gas pipeline that
has drawn threats of
U.S.
sanctions,
Islamabad
's
petroleum minister said Tuesday.
The Iranian side of the $7.5-billion project is almost complete, but
Pakistan
has
run into repeated problems paying for the 780 kilometer (485 mile) section to
be built on its side of the border.
Pakistani petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told AFP on Tuesday that the
preparatory work was complete, but they had asked
Iran
to
provide $2 billion for the construction work.
"All these issues will be discussed in a meeting which we have requested,
but so far there is no reply from the Iranian side," Mr. Abbasi said.
"They were busy in cabinet formation and I hope that this meeting will
take place within this month."
It is the latest setback to hit the long-delayed section of the pipeline that
would link the two neighbors and help ease
Pakistan
's
chronic gas shortages.
U.S.
officials have warned that the project would risk triggering sanctions aimed at
Iran
.
But Mr. Abbasi denied coming under pressure from
Washington
since
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to power in the May general election.
"Americans have not so far talked about this pipeline with us at any
level," he said.
Asked if
Pakistan
was
hoping to complete the project before the December 2014 deadline, Mr. Abbasi
replied: "Anything is possible, if we have the resources."
"It depends on the financing and availability of the machinery," he
said.
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