Sudanese FM arrives in India for energy talks
NEW DELHI, Jun 6, 2005 (Xinhua) — Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail arrived here Monday to hold talks with India on energy cooperation, Indo-Asian News Service reported.
Ismail, who is on a three-day visit to India, will meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh.
The Sudanese minister will work to consolidate relations in energy sector with India on the basis of strategic cooperation of the two countries, according to a press release from the Sudanese embassy here.
India is eager to take part in more oil exploration projects in Sudan where it has got stake in three, including the Greater Nile Oil Project.
Indian state-owned oil company ONGC Videsh (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has showed interest in two projects to be launched this year in Sudan.
Sudan produces 300,000 barrels of oil per day, mainly from the Greater Nile project, a joint venture with India, China and Malaysia, in which Indian company holds 25 percent stake.
Energy-hungry India is talking with its long-term rival and neighbor Pakistan on building a gas pipeline from Iran and the other from Turkmenistan.