July 20, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1424

TOKYO, July 19: The United States is asking Japan to hold regular talks on energy policy, but Japanese officials are concerned that Washington will use the forum to further pressure Tokyo to give up an Iranian oil project, a Japanese newspaper reported on Saturday.

The Mainichi Shimbun said in its evening edition that Washington has told Tokyo that it wants to discuss on a regular basis diversification of oil procurement and other issues related to energy security.

The move follows US pressure on Japan to back away from a project to develop Iran’s Azadegan, one of the world’s largest untapped oil fields.

A Japanese government-backed consortium missed a June 30 deadline with Iran to seal the $2 billion deal to develop Azadegan following US pressure, and subsequently lost exclusive rights to the project.

The energy talks may be a trap to force (Japan) into giving up the development of Azadegan, the Mainichi quoted a Japanese official as saying.—Reuters