WASHINGTON, March 12: The US-Pakistan energy talks, which begin in Islamabad on Monday, are likely to focus on developing alternative sources of energy for the country, says the US State Department.

US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, who arrived in Islamabad this weekend, will initiate the enhanced energy cooperation programme that Pakistan and the US have agreed to during President Bush’s visit to the country last week.

The State Department said that Mr Bodman’s meetings with senior officials in Islamabad are a follow-up to the US-Pakistan strategic partnership announced during President Bush’s visit.

“We think there are untapped resources in Pakistan — coal, for example, energy from Central Asia,” said US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher. “There are ways for Pakistan to meet its energy needs that we can certainly talk about.”

Mr Boucher hoped that Mr Bodman will have “a good energy dialogue and discussion” with the Pakistani officials about Pakistan’s future energy needs and the various sources that “we could work on to see that those are met.”

While making it clear that the US cannot offer reactors to Pakistan to produce nuclear energy, Mr Boucher said that Washington was aware of Islamabad’s energy needs.

“When you have really impressive economic growth like you’ve seen in Pakistan recently, you do have to think ahead about how you’re going to get the energy to continue that growth,” said Mr Boucher. “We think that can be done and we’re going to certainly sit down and work with Pakistan on that.”

Mr Boucher dispelled the impression that while India got whatever it wanted from President Bush during his recent visit to South Asia, Pakistan only received “a pat on the back and a cricket match,” as the New York Times said in a recent op-ed piece.

“I think it’s a little too easy to make comments like that about India got this, Pakistan got that, and to compare them. I mean, let’s not fall ourselves into the trap of hyphenation,” said Mr Boucher.

“Let’s not think that everything that’s right for India is right for Pakistan or everything right for Pakistan is right for India. … Pakistan has different needs and different opportunities than India.”

Mr Boucher said the question that should be asked is: “Are we helping Pakistan meet its needs? Are we helping the people of Pakistan meet their desires for development, for democracy, for a stable society in which to raise their children?

“And that’s the test that we need to pass on these trips, not whether we’ve announced 20 things with one country and only 18 with another,” Said Mr Boucher. Mr Boucher noted that during the visit President Bush announced US-Pakistani partnerships and dialogues on strategic issues, education, energy and economics. “We believe that these respond to Pakistan’s needs as it develops a stable, modern, prosperous and democratic society ... (and) the real test is whether we are helping the Pakistani people move into a better future.”

Going back to Mr Bodman’s visit, Mr Boucher said: “Our energy dialogue with Pakistan is going to be different than our energy discussions with India. One shouldn’t expect that the energy needs would be met in the same way given different geography, different history, and different resource base.”

He said the fact that the US has sent its energy secretary to Pakistan so soon after the president, “means that we can focus on this in a way that’s really appropriate to Pakistan.”

Criticizing those who compare India and Pakistan, Mr Boucher said: “I’m surprised nobody is saying India didn’t get any duty free regional opportunity zones. You know, Pakistan did. … Nobody says, you know, the United States is working with Pakistan to develop new product lines for export and we’re not doing that with India.”