Boosting Saarc's energy resources

Pakistan's idea of setting up Saarc Ministerial Forum on Energy Resources, as almost synchronising with Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar's urging for 'conversation without commitment' on Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline among the petroleum ministers of the three countries, should serve as indication enough of the big change in the thinking of the two long estranged neighbours on the worth and value of mutual co-operation in the newly emerging scenario.
This has reference to two separate reports focusing their common interest in the prospects of averting a major energy crisis in the region from a combination of realistic approaches.
Pakistan's proposal was mooted at a press briefing held by Pakistan foreign office spokesman, Masood Khan, on Sunday (July 18), after the standing committee of the Saarc Foreign Ministers finalised its agenda.
The officials of seven South Asian nations held a two-day meeting to discuss how to increase co-operation and prepare for the two-day talks between the Foreign Ministers, beginning Tuesday.
It was also pointed out that besides a meeting of Pakistan and Indian foreign secretaries, Riaz Khokhar and Shashank respectively, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, and his Indian counterpart, Natwar Singh, would also be meeting on the sidelines of the conference.
The foreign secretaries and foreign ministers, as Masood Khan indicated, would be reviewing the progress so far made in the general direction of the ongoing process of composite dialogue.
Moreover, recalling that at the summit held in January this year, the Saarc members had agreed to set up a free trade zone to boost business and investment in the region, he made no secret of the fact that all the seven Saarc members firmly stood for enhancing purposeful co-operation in the larger interest of people's welfare, saying that a special committee would look into effectiveness of any decision taken at summit or foreign ministers' level.
Referring to energy, communications and telecommunications, he rightly described these as the key areas in which the member states could work together for increasing common gains.
It will also be noted that maximum utilisation of the potential of the region's energy resources will be on top of the agenda of the Foreign Ministers meeting.
As for the Indian Petroleum Minister's proposal regarding the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, it is reportedly contained in a letter he wrote to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
In it he specifically noted that the Iranian oil minister had conveyed to him an informal suggestion for 'conversation without commitment' between the petroleum ministers of the three countries, and that he had discussed it with the External Affairs Minister was favourably inclined to pursue it.
According to a news report carried by an Indian newspaper, similar proposals had been made in the past, but without making much headway for what has been referred to as security concerns involving Pakistan.
However, now that Aiyar has taken up the matter with Prime Minister, it is likely to gain quite some support in New Delhi and other Saarc capitals. Depending upon continuity of the process of peace and friendship between Pakistan and India, one can hopefully look forward to an era of multilateral co-operation on the energy front for greater gains for the entire region.