ANKARA: Iran is ready to participate in a gas swap between Pakistan andTurkmenistan, but a long-planned pipeline to transport gas fromTurkmenistan to India is unlikely to become operational, Iran’ssemi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

“I see it unlikely for the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India)pipeline to become operational and Iran is ready for this swap toPakistan,” Fars quoted the head of the National Iranian Gas Company,Hamidreza Araqi, as saying.

The TAPI pipeline – named after the countries involved, Turkmenistan,Afghanistan, Pakistan and India – was first proposed three decades ago. Butthe region’s complex geopolitics and security concerns have hindered itsconstruction.

TAPI will transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year along an 1,800 km(1,125 mile) route from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh, the world’ssecond-biggest gas field, to Fazilka in northwest India.

“We have announced our readiness to Turkmenistan for exporting theirnatural gas to Pakistan, but have not received any response from them,”Araqi said.

“Given Iran’s situation in the centre of the region, we can join every gaspipeline that passes around the country.” – Agencies