Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, left, shakes hand with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after signing the declaration of strategic partnership.

By IOL South Asia Correspondent

NEW DELHI, January 25 (IslamOnline) — On his first day in his visit to India, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Saturday, January 25 that he hoped there would be no war against Iraq. According to Khatami, an environment of war had already caused problems for the region.

Khatami, who arrived in Delhi late Friday, January 24 night on a four-day official visit will be the chief guest at the Republic Day pageant Sunday, January 26.

Following a ceremonial welcome by President APJ Abdul Kalam, Khatami said, “The misuse of the present situation to create an environment of war has brought a lot of problems to our region.”

He said the world was looking at Iraq, adding, “We recommend to Iraq to abide by the U.N. resolutions.”

“We hope that there will be no war against Iraq,” Khatami said. China, Russia, France, Germany and India are among major nations which don’t favor a war against Iraq, in addition, the Middle East and much of the world too would rather not have it.

Khatami has come at the head of a delegation that includes foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi, defense minister Ali Shamkhani, science and technology minister Mustafa Moin and oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.

The four-day tour of the Iranian delegation includes visits to information technology centers in south India. Iran is also interested in laying an overland pipeline through Pakistan to carry Iranian oil to the burgeoning Indian market.

Iran has offered to sell oil and gas at extremely low prices to India. The pipeline will substantially reduce India's oil import costs. However, perpetual mistrust about Pakistan's intent makes India wary of the overland pipeline option. Instead it has shown preference for a marine pipeline which would be much twice as costly

Iran has assured India that the financial cartels and global oil majors who will get the business will see to it that Pakistan does not subvert the project. The prospect of considerable royalty and resulting economic development in Pakistan should also keep it from harming the pipeline.

Some people have suggested that the pipeline could be insured to avert any such possibility. But India is taking no chances.

Traditionally, Iran has had reasonably good relations with India, although during the Shah’ s regime Iran was closer to Pakistan. Pakistan and Shah’ s Iran were close U.S. allies. Iran had sided with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 wars with India.

India does not share the US view of Iran as part of an “ axis of evil” .

Traditionally, Iran has had a sobering influence on Pakistan. India hopes that its influence will somehow make Pakistan tone down its belligerence towards India, where Khatami is seen as a moderate who should be able to rein in “Islamic fundamentalism”.

India makes it a point to raise from every possible platform the issue of "terrorism" and Pakistan as its alleged exporter and "epicenter" in the region.

Khatami was in Pakistan last month, making him one of the few people who are welcomed equally by both countries. Such people can be a crucial medium for communication between the two estranged neighbors.

Last month India's naval chief, Admiral Manvendra Singh was in Iran. Defense cooperation will be part of the agenda of talks that Khatami will have with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other leaders. Keeping U.S. sensitivities about Iran in view, defense cooperation is likely to be low-key.

The two sides are expected to urge the international community to forge a comprehensive convention on terrorism. The United States and Israel, a major ally of India, do not think that Iran is serious about countering “ terrorism” because of its support to groups fighting Israeli occupation like Hizbullah and Hamas.

Over the years, Iran has come round to supporting India's stand on Kashmir. The turnaround came in April 1995 following the then Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’ s official visit to India.