Burma's energy minister is set to meet with his Indian counterpart Wednesday for talks on a proposed gas pipeline.
Burma's Lun Thi and India's Mani Shankar Aiyar are expected to meet in New Delhi, to talk about the plans to build a conduit from Burma to India through Bangladesh, and an alternate plan that would avoid Bangladesh by routing the pipeline through northern India.
Bangladesh agreed with the plan in principle in January, but the nation is not expected to send delegates to Wednesday's meeting.
Asian news services report Bangladesh has demanded trade and energy corridors to Nepal and Bhutan, and a reduction in the Bangladeshi trade imbalance with India, in exchange for permission to route the pipeline across Bangladeshi territory.
