Iran and Pakistan's decision last week to pursue a gas pipeline project on their own notwithstanding, India has said it continues to be part of the original tri-nation project but reaching a pact depends on settling transit issues with Islamabad.
"We have never said that we are pulling out of the IPI project. We are part of the project and will continue pursuing import of gas from Iran through the three-nation pipeline," Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan told PTI in New Delhi.
Iran last week said it will by October-end sign a pact with Pakistan to sell gas through a bilateral pipeline in the absence of India joining the Iran-Pakistan-India gas line.
Even before last week's technical and official level talks in Tehran on the pipeline, India had informed Iran that it would not attend