Pakistan urges India to act quickly on proposed gas pipeline from Iran
Pakistan pressed India to move ahead quickly on a proposed US$7 bn gas pipeline from Iran that would serve both India and Pakistan, saying it was desperately needed to help both economies meet their growing energy needs.
By Agencies |
NEW DELHI: Pakistan pressed India on Friday to move ahead quickly on a proposed US$7 bn gas pipeline from Iran that would serve both India and Pakistan, saying it was desperately needed to help both economies meet their growing energy needs.
Despite the mutual benefit, bickering over prices and Indian fears about the pipeline's security as it runs through longtime rival Pakistan have held up progress. The project has also faced intense opposition from the United States.
"This is a project that can help us mitigate our problems vis-a-vis energy shortages," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said at a joint news conference with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi.
Qureshi was in India for talks on the ongoing peace-process between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. Qureshi, who also heads Pakistan's petroleum and natural resources ministry, was scheduled to meet India's Petroleum Minister Murli Deora later Friday.
"Pakistan is keen to move ahead and I would want to seek his input whether India is ready to fully engage with us or it would like to spend some more time thinking about it," Qureshi said.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the two sides discussed the issue and he was "hopeful that it will be possible to resolve this issue both from technical, commercial and all (other) aspects."
The US opposes the project because it fears it will weaken efforts to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for power generation.
India discussed the pipeline project with Iran during a visit to New Delhi in April by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the two sides agreed to try to resolve the issue quickly.
The proposed pipeline would run 1,625 miles (2,615 kilometers) from Iran to India through Pakistan and initially carry 2,120 mn cubic feet (60 mn cubic meters) of gas a day.
Despite the mutual benefit, bickering over prices and Indian fears about the pipeline's security as it runs through longtime rival Pakistan have held up progress. The project has also faced intense opposition from the United States.
"This is a project that can help us mitigate our problems vis-a-vis energy shortages," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said at a joint news conference with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi.
Qureshi was in India for talks on the ongoing peace-process between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. Qureshi, who also heads Pakistan's petroleum and natural resources ministry, was scheduled to meet India's Petroleum Minister Murli Deora later Friday.
"Pakistan is keen to move ahead and I would want to seek his input whether India is ready to fully engage with us or it would like to spend some more time thinking about it," Qureshi said.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the two sides discussed the issue and he was "hopeful that it will be possible to resolve this issue both from technical, commercial and all (other) aspects."
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The US opposes the project because it fears it will weaken efforts to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for power generation.
India discussed the pipeline project with Iran during a visit to New Delhi in April by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the two sides agreed to try to resolve the issue quickly.
The proposed pipeline would run 1,625 miles (2,615 kilometers) from Iran to India through Pakistan and initially carry 2,120 mn cubic feet (60 mn cubic meters) of gas a day.
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