Guwahati: Energy ministers from Burma, India and Bangladesh agreed in principle to corporate the gas exploration and
overland pipeline project on Thursday in Rangoon.
"The government of Myanmar (Burma) agrees to export natural gas to India by pipeline through the territory of Bangladesh,"
said a joint statement of the energy ministers of the three countries.
The statement was issued after a two-day meeting of India's Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar with Bangladesh's State
Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Burmese Energy Minister Brigadier General Lun Thi
at the capital of Burma.
The three neighbouring countries had also agreed to cooperate in exploring and drilling of the offshore natural gas field in western
Burma. They had agreed to establish a Techno-Commercial Working Committee with due representation from the concerning
countries and would exchange relevant information for promoting energy surveys and developing upstream & downstream projects.
The gas pipeline will run through the Northeastern states of Mizoram and Tripura before entering Bangladesh. That way the gas will be
supplied from Arakan province of Burma to Kolkata in mainland India.
The government in Dhaka is estimating an annual earning of around 125 million dollars as transit fees from the project.
Source: http://www.mizzima.com/archives/news-in-2005/news-in-jan/14-January%2005-19.htm