Iran`s oil minister called on India to play a more active role in development of a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline from Iran to Pakistan and India, semi-official Mehr newsagency reported.

`In the light of the many wasted opportunities in the pipeline project because of stalling by India, we asked this country to be more active,` Gholam Hossein Nozari said after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The 7.5 billion dollar project for the 2,600 kilometre (1,600 miles) Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline was launched in 1994 but has been held up by disgreements between India and Pakistan.

Iran and Pakistan agreed last month to go ahead with the pipeline on a bilateral basis.

Mukherjee, who was in Tehran for an official visit, said India `has no intention of quitting the project,` Mehr reported.

He also raised the possibility of a three-way meeting between Iran, Pakistan and India, though no date has yet been set.

New Delhi has been under pressure from the United States not to do business with Iran, viewed in Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism that is bent on acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran holds the world`s second largest gas reserves after Russia but remains a small-scale exporter because of heavy domestic consumption and the lack of exploitation of some of its gas fields.