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Pakistan voices support for gas pipeline
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-07 10:27

Pakistan's prime minister on Monday gave strong backing for a transnational gas pipeline that would also supply India, saying it would foster "an enduring relationship" between the archrivals.

India's petroleum and natural gas minister is visiting Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials on proposed billion-dollar pipelines that would feed natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to India, via Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said after meeting with the Indian minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, that a pipeline would "create linkages and interdependencies for establishing an enduring relationship between the two countries."

India's petroleum and gas minister Mani Shankar Aiyar addresses members of the media during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, June 6, 2005. Pakistan's prime minister gave strong backing for a transnational gas pipeline that would also supply archrival India, saying it would foster 'an enduring relationship' between the two countries. Aiyar is currently visiting Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials on proposed billion-dollar pipelines that would feed natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to India, via Pakistan.[AP]

The United States has voiced opposition to the pipeline from Iran. Washington has no diplomatic relations with Iran and wants to keep international pressure on the regime over its nuclear program.

A nascent peace process between India and Pakistan — enemies in three wars since independence in 1947 — has led to the talks on what would be by far the biggest economic cooperation project yet between the two neighbors.

The project for a $4 billion pipeline from Iran, first proposed by Tehran in 1996, has foundered, largely because of India's concern for the security of the pipeline in Pakistan. The other proposed pipeline from Turkmenistan has also been hampered by instability in Afghanistan, whose territory it would also have to pass through.

But Aiyar said he was confident the project would be launched in early 2006. The Indian minister was due to meet with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday.

India wants to import gas to meet the growing energy needs of its rapidly expanding economy, and Pakistan, which would also have access to the gas, would earn transit fees.

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