January 29, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 28, 1426

NEW DELHI, Jan 28: Wash-ington, which is negotiating a landmark civilian nuclear deal with India, has asked New Delhi to reconsider its decision to buy a Syrian oilfield with China, a newspaper said on Saturday.

The demand was made earlier this month and a note with Washington’s objections was handed over to Indian foreign ministry officials, The Hindu reported.

The report came after the US ambassador to India warned earlier this week that the country could lose out on the crucial nuclear deal if it does not vote against Iran’s nuclear program at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Feb 2.

The Indian government told ambassador David Mulford his remarks were ‘not conducive to building a strong partnership between the two democracies’.

Washington’s objections to the Syrian deal stem from its allegations that Damascus is fostering terrorism and a UN report charging Syria played a leading role in the assassination of Lebanon’s former premier, the newspaper said.

“The United States strongly opposes such investments in Syrian resources,” The Hindu newspaper quoted the note as saying. “The Syrian regime will seek to exploit news of any investment at the moment as evidence that it is not isolated and therefore not comply with its UN Security Council obligations,” the note said.

Indian officials were unavailable for comment on the newspaper report. US embassy officials in New Delhi could not be reached for comment.

Western nations have been turning up the heat on Damascus since a UN investigation into a Beirut bomb blast that killed former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri and 20 others implicated Syria in the deaths.

Damascus has vehemently denied involvement.

“We ask that you reconsider this decision to extend such a significant amount of investment in Syria,” the note said, according to The Hindu.

The newspaper said India considered the Syrian venture to be of strategic significance and an important step in cementing the China-India partnership for joint acquisitions in third countries.

Last month, India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) teamed up to purchase a 37 per cent stake in Syria’s Al Furat oil and gas fields from Petro-Canada for 573 million dollars.

The deal was part of a joint strategy forged by China and India to secure global fuel assets to feed their booming economies.

Washington had earlier voiced objections to New Delhi about it buying gas from Iran through a transnational multi-billion dollar gas pipeline.—AFP