NEW DELHI, Feb. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi offered Monday Indian investors three-year multiple visa to his country and stressed that the proposed Iran-Pak-India gas pipeline would bolster regional cooperation.

    "Laying the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would be the best and most desirable step towards enhancing cooperation between Iran and India," the Press Trust of India quoted Kharrazi as saying at joint business council meeting hosted by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here.

    The Indian government's recent approval for the gas pipeline "has created an encouraging atmosphere for pushing ahead this highly important project, which, no doubt, would have positive impact on the regional convergence," he said.

    The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and oil deals between the two nations provided a solid base for India's energy security and its economic and industrial growth.

    Welcoming investments in Iran's IT, engineering, biotechnology and tourism industries, Kharrazi announced a three year multiple visa facility for all investors and a long term stay permit.

    He described as "significant outcome" the signing of strategic agreements earlier this year on Iran selling 7.5 million tons of LNG a year to India for 25 years and India's participation in developing Iranian oil fields and extracting 100,000 barrels of oil per day.

    The minister also said the initiative taken by Iran, Russia and India to create a North-South transport corridor and an East corridor extending up to Uzbekistan would considerably reduce costs and time of movement of merchandise between the two countries and open new horizons for regional cooperation. Enditem