US concerned at Iran-India pipeline plan
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today expressed concern about India’s gas-pipeline project with Iran and said New Delhi should consider alternative ways to meet its energy needs.
Tehran, Islamabad and New Delhi are negotiating to build a pipeline to carry gas from Iran, through Pakistan, to India. Washington opposes other nations doing business with Iran as it struggles to get Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme.
Rice said the US has made its concerns about the pipeline clear to New Delhi but was also aware of India’s rapidly increasing energy needs.
“Our views concerning Iran are well known … but we have to look at a broader question on how India meets its energy needs … we believe that a broader energy dialogue should be launched with India,” Rice said at a joint news conference with India’s External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh.
Last month, India’s government decided to go ahead with its participation in the 1,735-mile-pipeline project.
“Given the technological sophistication of our economy and of India’s economy, we can also explore ways that new technologies can help us over the next decades to meet what are undoubtedly going to be burgeoning energy needs,” Rice said.
Singh today reiterated New Delhi’s support for the project and said India expects “Iran to fulfil all its obligations with regard to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty”.
India imports more than 70% of the crude oil it consumes and demand for oil is rising because of its rapidly growing economy and India will import five million tons of liquefied natural gas in 2005.
India’s petroleum minister is scheduled to visit Teheran in June to secure a formal deal for the pipeline which is expected to become operational by 2009.
