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New Delhi: In the first high-level visit to India by an Iranian official in the second tenure of the UPA government, and also the first after re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, both sides had discussions on a range of bilateral and regional issues including energy security, trade, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and enhanced collaboration in science and technology.
According to officials, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly reiterated commitment to take forward the three-nation gas pipeline also involving Pakistan.
External affairs minister SM Krishna held delegation-level talks with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki, where several issues including the volatile situation in Afghanistan and the role of Pakistan-based terrorist outfits in fomenting unrest in the region dominated the discussions, said diplomatic sources.
The much-delayed $7.5-billion gas pipeline project that was first mooted in 1994 was discussed. The project, if completed, would carry gas from Iran to Pakistan and then India. But India, due to tense relationship with Pakistan, withdrew last year from the talks because of repeated disputes about prices and transit fees.
Also, as both countries share common interests in Afghanistan, they also discussed joint infrastructure projects like the deep-sea port of Chabahar and a rail link to provide better connectivity for Afghanistan to Central Asia. The Iranian side pressed for accelerating negotiations to resolve and address Indian concerns about the pricing of Iranian gas and the security of the pipeline, which is expected to pass through violence-prone areas of Pakistan. Mottaki’s visit is taking place at the invitation of foreign minister Krishna and within the framework of the regular high-level contacts between the two capitals.
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