New Delhi, Feb 3, IRNA ,
The United States will be following Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Iran next week with "interest" for any violations of its legislation -- the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, US ambassador to India David C Mulford said here on Thursday.
According to Asian Age, a New Delhi-based English daily, although the US government has communicated its concerns to New Delhi on the India-Iran gas pipeline and its possible violation of the US legislation earlier, the US ambassador's statement just days before Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Iran is being seen with interest.
Mukherjee will leave on a two-day visit to Tehran on February 6.
On his first visit to Iran after taking over as foreign minister, Mukherjee will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and also call on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his stay in Tehran.
While noting that the US recognizes India's historic relations with Iran, the US ambassador said there was no reason for Washington to doubt New Delhi's support. But in a firm indication that the US was keen to know the outcome of the visit, the ambassador said that the US will be "watching" the outcome with interest.
"There is a legislation that has certain arrangements in it. The legislation has not been used before. They need to be aware of that," Mulford told reporters here on Thursday.
When asked if he had taken up the matter with the Indian government, Mulford said he had already conveyed Washington's concerns to the Indian government.
"I informed the minister about the legislation, and that it has not been used before," he said, adding that the Indian authorities were well aware of the US concerns.
Under its Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, the United States government is required to penalize any foreign firm that invests more than USD 40 million in the energy sectors of either country, the daily said, adding that with the US making it clear that it will be keeping a watch on the forthcoming discussions, Washington has sent a clear signal on what it expects from New Delhi.
This is not the first time though that the US Administration has expressed its disapproval of the gas pipeline project between the two countries.
During her India visit in 2005, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, too, had stated that the US had concerns about the deal.
"I think that our views concerning Iran are very well known by this time, and we have communicated to the Indian government our concerns about the gas pipeline cooperation between Iran and India. I think our ambassador has made statements in that regard. And so, those concerns are well known to the Indian government...So, yes, we do have our concerns. We've communicated those, but we intend also to look at this as a broader problem," Rice had said.