New Delhi, February 10
The Ministry of External Affairs will retain full powers in negotiations on gas pipeline projects with Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, authoritative sources in the Government told The Tribune tonight.

The MEA will continue to provide its inputs and decide on diplomatic and external relations aspects of the gas pipeline projects with foreign countries and it is not as if the MEA will be playing second fiddle to the Petroleum Ministry, sources said.

To ensure this, the government has already sent Mr Talmeez Ahmed, an Additional Secretary in the MEA, on deputation to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for working as the MEA’s pointman in the Petroleum Ministry for international cooperation and negotiations.

The Union Cabinet had yesterday authorised the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to “lead/participate” in discussions and negotiations with countries like Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan on gas pipeline projects.

It is a matter of coincidence that currently both the ministries — MEA and the Ministry of Petroleum — are headed by ministers who have been career diplomats, Mr K. Natwar Singh and Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer respectively.

Sources said the MEA representative will participate in all meetings on pipeline projects and will be at liberty to call for more hands from the MEA if the situation so demanded.

This is not the first time when the MEA has appointed its pointman in the Ministry of Petroleum; the last time it was decades ago when international oil prices zoomed because of the Middle East situation.