Iran says EU offers to back oil pipeline from C.Asia

Iran said on Friday the European Union had offered to back it as the main oil transit route from Central Asia to tempt Tehran to freeze its nuclear fuel work, but a summary of the EU’s proposals contained no such offer.

Iran, home to the world’s second largest oil and gas reserves, has long promoted itself as an alternative route for delivering land-locked Caspian oil to world markets, but has met opposition from the United States, its political rival.

“In the proposal, they have supported the idea of Iran being the main energy transit route to Europe from Central Asia,” a senior Iranian close to the EU negotiations told Reuters.

But a summary of the package delivered to Iran by Britain, France and Germany made no mention of supporting an Iranian oil pipeline. “The summary contains all the substance of the full proposals,” an EU diplomat said in Brussels.

Reuters India