India to undertake gas, oil exploration in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan

Mumbai: India will undertake joint oil and gas exploration projects in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. Besides, the two countries have also agreed to consider a proposal from the MMTC and the National Mineral Development Corporation for gold exploration.

Uzbekistan will open technical talks with the GAIL for gas exploration in the Central Asian country.

During meetings between Uzbek prime minister Savkit Mirziyayev and minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh at Tashkent, India also offered to help Uzbekistan set up a training institute for gas technology there, an official statement said.

Azerbaijan has agreed to co-operate with India in several areas, including the oil and gas sector. Indian companies are also set to play a greater role in the development of Azerbaijan''s rapidly expanding oil and gas industry, the commerce ministry statement said.

The decision was taken at a meeting last week at Baku between Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev and the Indian minister.

ONGC Videsh and SOCAR, the state-owned oil and gas exploration company of Azerbaijan, will start talks for co-operation for investments in hydrocarbon-rich Azerbaijan.