TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Shana) � Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said Pakistan is determined to buy gas from neighboring Iran and has not given up the project importing gas by pipeline.

�Pakistan�s LNG contract with Qatar will not meet its needs. Naturally, it has other options in mind including importing gas by TAPI pipeline,� he told Shana.

He introduced Iran the cheapest route for Pakistan to import gas and said, �Common border can help Pakistan to import cheaper gas from Iran.�

�All over the world, it is more economical to import gas by pipeline than other ways specially if it can be done in short time,� Kameli explained.

Referring to the advantages of IP to TAPI pipeline, the NIGC chief said that due to the length of TAPI, the price of its gas will be higher for Pakistan than to import it from Iran.

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

By SHANA