The US Ambassador in Pakistan, Ryan C Crocker, said here on Wednesday that Washington would not like to see Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline go through due to the stand-off with Tehran over nuclear issue, and Islamabad should opt for other two pipelines, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) and Pak-Qatar--to meet its requirements in the future.
Talking to a group of journalists here, the envoy said that Iran was following a policy of confrontation over nuclear issue, and the US could not simply ignore any project of its economic interest. He said that the US was fully aware of Pakistan's growing energy demand and, in its acknowledgement, was working closely with Islamabad to explore the possible venues to help it meet energy demand in the coming years.
Crocker said that US was closely working with Pakistan to find ways and means for co-operation in the field of energy. He listed various alternative energy resources, such as solar, wind, thermal and hydel power, which US could explore to help Islamabad meet energy demand to sustain its economic growth.
The envoy said that a Pakistan officials delegation would visit Washington soon to discuss various alternative energy resources with US officials.
He noted that Pakistan and US had completed 90 percent work on the 'Bilateral Invest Treaty' (BIT), and legal advisors from both sides were closely working to complete the rest of formalities to make the agreement comprehensive and meaningful to deliver goods to the investors of both countries.
He said that Pakistan and US had gone through various phases in the past. The two sides witnessed warm as well as estranged relationship. He said now the US administration was for sustainable strategic relationship with Islamabad and a number of visits here were in the same context.
He said that Pak-US relationship should be beyond personalities for long term friendship. He referred the visit of President Bush and other US leadership to Pakistan in the recent past in support of his arguments.
The ambassador said US would offer a special status to the area close to Pak-Afghan border and earthquake areas for their duty-free exports to American market.
He said presently 65 American companies are operating in Pakistan and all of them are planning to increase the volume of investment here in the coming years. The ambassador added that civil nuclear technology was not as inevitable as for India due to huge difference on this source of energy. He said Pakistan was targeting only 5 percent energy from nuclear resource by 2030 against India's 20 percent.
He did not agree with a questioner that the recently concluded deal between US and India for civil nuclear technology would create disparity in the region, besides accepting New Delhi as a legitimate nuclear state. He said the deal did not encourage India to use nuclear facility for military purpose. He also did not agree that the deal would weaken its case for any action against Iran on nuclear issue.
He said that Pakistan was a non-Nato ally and its forces would be commanding Nato forces for one year. Pakistan is already part of the Nato. He said that US offer to Pakistan for F-16 fighter planes was intact and Islamabad's decision was awaited.
He said that US was pushing Islamabad for holding free and honest general elections next year for sustainable democracy. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were fighting against common enemy in war on terrorism and they should focus on the goal to succeed in the war.
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