TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (Shana) � Deputy Petroleum Minister for International Affairs and Commerce said Iran supports Pakistan�s policy of diversifying its gas import sources including buying much needed natural gas from neighboring Iran.

�Energy hungry Pakistan needs large volumes of natural gas and we welcome Islamabad�s diversification of its natural gas import basket,� Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia told Shana when asked about signing an LNG contract between Pakistan and Qatar.

�We are pleased that Pakistan can diversify its energy sources basket and Iran is well placed to assist its neighbor in this regard.�

Zamani-Nia said that Pakistan�s need to gas is larger than the contract it signed with Qatar.
�By all accounts, Pakistan needs to finalize construction of the Iran-Pakistan pipeline to import gas,� he added.

Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh said on Monday that Pakistani Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is invited to visit Tehran and that he is ready to receive him.

By SHANA