India-Iran-Ahmadinejad's Visit
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's last month visit to Delhi became a defining moment.
This is apparent in three directions. First and foremost, India and Iran are putting behind the indifferent patch in their bilateral relationship characteristic of the period 2005-2007, said an expert M K Bhadrakumar in an article published in a leading english daily "The Hindu".
Ahmadinejad's visit signifies Iran's desire to move forward in its ties with India. Equally, it underscores our jettisoning of an unhappy interregnum when we adopted a neoconservative view of Iran through the prism of our perceived 'alliance of values' with the United States.
Of course, one would have wished that the President stayed longer in India and the leadership of the two countries appeared at a joint press conference. But that is perhaps too much to expect at this stage. What is important is that New Delhi has tiptoed back toward the world community, which believes that the International Atomic Energy Agency should be allowed to complete its work on the Iran nuclear issue.
The US is finding it impossible to impose punitive sanctions on Iran.
Indian opinion-makers, therefore, need not panic about US sensitivities if India forges friendship with Iran.
In fact, the US stratagem to isolate Iran has proved ineffectual.
The "pro-US" Arab regimes have sought accommodation with Iran.
Turkey works closely with Iran on issues of regional security.
Iran has thwarted the covert American attempts to bring about a regime change in Tehran.
Meanwhile, the US quagmire in Iraq has enhanced Iran's regional influence. New Delhi has done well to assess the co-relation of forces in the region.
A second aspect that emerged during Ahmadinejad's visit is the Indian recognition that the Iran gas pipeline project is "doable." It has not come a day too soon. Alongside, there is reason to believe that the moribund LNG deal with Iran may still be alive and kicking.
The LNG deal has a pivotal role in galvanising Indo-Iranian cooperation. Tehran would realise that the deal is much more than a matter of energy cooperation. No doubt, it will act as a spur for all-round expansion of bilateral economic cooperation. Thus, it is possible to say, in a historical perspective, that all factors taken into consideration - soaring oil prices; Iran's swelling capital surplus for investments; its privatisation programme; the
consolidation and stability of the Iranian regime; India's concerns over energy security; and Indian companies' emergence as multinational entities - Indo-Iranian cooperation is at the crossroads.
Iran is a key player on the chessboard of energy security. The paradox is that the diminution of Europe's dependence on Russian energy supplies is a cornerstone of Washington's trans-Atlantic policy. But such a trend could not be achieved unless Europe accesses Iranian energy. Therefore, time is of the essence in the matter, as Iran is poised to make important choices in the coming months. The US- sponsored Nabucco pipeline project - sourcing gas for Europe via Turkey - could turn out to be Iran's passport for integration with the West. At the same time, Mr. Ahmadinejad is committed to the idea of an Asian energy grid involving Russia, China, India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Central Asian gas producing countries
-Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - have agreed to convert to European prices in their contracts with Russia's Gazprom.
