Iran talks energy with India, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Iranian energy officials Friday said India will become a top oil customer in 2009, eclipsing China, while Pakistan secures oil on a deferred payment schedule.

Ali Ashgar Arshi, the managing director of global affairs at the National Iranian Oil Co., said sales forecasts for 2009 put India over other Asian countries in the Iranian customer base, the Iranian Fars News Agency said.

"Currently the leading customers of Iran's crude oil in Asia are Japan, China and India, but in the upcoming year the top ranking will change to India, China and Japan," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, in Islamabad on working toward satisfying Pakistani energy demands in a faltering world economy.

"We discussed difficult economic challenges," Qureshi said. "I made a request that it will be a great help if Iran provides us with oil on a deferred payment under the Iranian law," he said.

All parties are in ongoing negotiations surrounding the 1,724-long Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline.