By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan “with its high growth trajectory” is determined to develop and utilise nuclear energy, among other resources, to meet its growing requirement, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, according to Online news agency.
Every country has the right to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under the appropriate international safeguards and guidelines, the prime minister said in address to a conference on “Energy: Sources of Regional Cooperation” at the Institute of Strategic Studies here.
“We believe there needs to be a level playing field for all countries to have access to civilian nuclear technology without prejudice or discrimination”, Aziz said.
To meet future energy challenges the international community faced, he said there was no option but to cooperate with one another.
“Competition between us will not only be counter-productive but would be immensely destructive,” he said, adding that the “fragile international political system, which is already faced with serious challenges, may well collapse as a result of conflicts over energy resources”.
“We must act now to save the world and especially our region from such a disastrous fate”, Aziz maintained.
About Iran’s nuclear programme, he said: “It is also desirable to reduce tensions between Iran and the Western countries, as these threats will not only undermine regional peace and security but would also derail efforts to ensure energy security for the entire world.”
Commenting on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the premier said: “The project is now at an advanced stage of negotiations and we are confident that it will be launched in the near future.”
“Similarly, we are exploring the possibilities of a pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan, which could be extended onward to India. Import of LNG from the Gulf countries is also a growing option for Pakistan as well as for countries in our region,” he said.