Pakistan today said the ambitious multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project with India and Iran makes "more economic sense" if New Delhi is on board and argued that it could also serve as an "incentive for stability" in the region.
"If India is on board the IPI gas pipeline project, it makes all the more economic sense," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said answering questions at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a renowned think tank here, after delivering a lecture.
24 July 2008: PTI
By: H S Rao
Pakistan today said the ambitious multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project with India and Iran makes "more economic sense" if New Delhi is on board and argued that it could also serve as an "incentive for stability" in the region.
"If India is on board the IPI gas pipeline project, it makes all the more economic sense," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said answering questions at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a renowned think tank here, after delivering a lecture.
Noting that India is also deficient in energy, Qureshi said "both stand to gain (from the pipeline)." "It can be used as a confidence building measure," he stated.
In his address, Qureshi said "South Asia is also gravely affected by the energy crisis. The worldwide quest for accelerated growth in industry, services and agriculture gives rise to increase in demand for energy.
"In this context Pakistan is seeking to pursue international gas pipeline options, with which we hope we will position ourselves as an energy hub for South Asia and possibly China through the port of Gwadar." "We have a planned gas pipeline from Iran, crossing Pakistan and heading on to India. This project offers not just energy to both nations but could also serve as an incentive for stability in the region. Another pipeline project is from Turkmanistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and, possibly, onward to India."
Qureshi also spoke about improvement in trade between India and Pakistan. Referring to Pakistan's latest trade policy that has opened up opportunities, he said 139 new items have been put on the positive list which has encouraged the people.
Stating that Pakistan produced excellent quality of citrus and mango which does not clash with the season in India, he added that talks were on for export of those items to India.
"Enhanced trade is one of the issues I discussed with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during my recent visit to Delhi," Qureshi said.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister concurred with a questioner that "economic linkages are very important in the days to come and economic diplomacy will have a greater role to play."
