IOL South Asia Correspondent

New Delhi, November 11 (IslamOnline)-India and Iran have come closer with the visit of Human Resource Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’ s to that country, where he signed an agreement to promote scientific and technological cooperation Saturday, November 9.

The agreement deals with exchange of information in communication technology, energy, industrial and food technology and environment. The two sides also agreed to form a joint committee to assess the level of cooperation.

Traditionally, Iran had been closer to Pakistan than to India, but the rise of Pakistan-supported Taliban and their Sunni sectarian outlook alienated the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and its mentor Pakistan from Iran, which is predominantly Shiite.

Taliban’ s hostility to the Shiite Hazaras within Afghanistan and tension on Iran-Afghan border accentuated Shia-Sunni schism. Shia-Sunni riots in Pakistan further harmed the old ties with Iran.

During the Shah of Iran’ s reign both Iran and Pakistan were U.S. allies, but after the Islamic revolution of the 1979 Iran walked out of the alliance with the U.S. Ever since then, the distance between the US and Iran has grown as Pakistan has remained a loyal U.S. ally.

The Indo-Iranian accord envisages cooperation in energy too. Iran wants to export gas to India from its massive reserves. However, the proposed 1000-km pipeline has to pass through Pakistani territory. And therein lies the rub.

India does not trust Pakistan and says it cannot depend on an oil or gas pipeline coming through Pakistan. India fears that in times of tension Pakistan would disrupt its supply.

A consortium of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan had concluded in July in Turkmen capital of Ashkabad that India could be a big market for Turkmen gas.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) was the multilateral agency for the project. However, ADB failed to pursuade India to cooperate. The gas could be delivered to India somewhere in northern Rajasthan or southern Punjab. However, it was not acceptable to India.

In another setback, the summit during which Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan were to sign an agreement got cancelled indefinitely.

India will not participate in a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan as it would cross Pakistan overland, virtually asking Pakistani extremists to disrupt it.