Supporting a landmark initiative in bilateral energy cooperation between India and Pakistan.

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) it is in the best interests of the United States, as a facilitator of peaceful relations between India and Pakistan, to support the India-Pakistan agreement to construct a natural gas pipeline; (2) a natural gas pipeline through Pakistan to India is a vehicle for furthering U.S. national security, and would ensure energy security for Pakistan and India, while strengthening the peace process and fostering greater economic cooperation between the two historically hostile countries; and (3) India-Pakistan linkages should be encouraged as they have the potential to contribute to world peace.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 353 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 353

   Supporting a landmark initiative in bilateral energy cooperation 
                      between India and Pakistan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2005

 Mr. McDermott (for himself, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. Jackson-Lee 
of Texas, and Mr. Pitts) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Supporting a landmark initiative in bilateral energy cooperation 
                      between India and Pakistan.

Whereas the national security of the United States depends on world peace;
Whereas the United States has always strived for peaceful and cordial relations 
        between India and Pakistan;
Whereas in 1995, before the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 (ILSA) was enacted 
        into law, Pakistan and Iran signed a preliminary agreement for 
        construction of a natural gas pipeline from Iran, which was later 
        proposed to be extended to India, a historic initiative that would serve 
        as an instrument of harmonizing the relations between India and 
        Pakistan;
Whereas in May 2005, the United States dropped its opposition to Iran's 
        application to join the World Trade Organization;
Whereas the potential for economic and developmental gain from natural gas will 
        gradually encourage India and Pakistan to reassess their roles and 
        policies in regional conflicts as well as in national security issues;
Whereas India and Pakistan are among the world's fastest-growing economies; New 
        Delhi is projecting growth of 7 percent for the year ending March 2006, 
        while Islamabad expects Pakistan's economy to expand 8.4 percent for the 
        year ending June 2005;
Whereas this growth is causing South Asia's energy demands to soar;
Whereas if this trend continues, India alone, by the year 2030, is expected to 
        be dependent on imported oil for more than 90 percent of its oil 
        supplies, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris;
Whereas several alternative natural gas pipelines are under consideration by 
        India and Pakistan, including a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan; 
        and
Whereas the Government of the United States has a strong interest in encouraging 
        peace between India and Pakistan and it is taking all appropriate 
        actions to ensure that the most economically and politically feasible 
        natural gas pipeline for India and Pakistan is constructed: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) it is in the best interests of the United States, as a 
        facilitator of peaceful relations between India and Pakistan, 
        to support the agreement between India and Pakistan to 
        construct a natural gas pipeline, a historic initiative;
            (2) an economically, politically, and technically sound 
        natural gas pipeline through Pakistan to India is a vehicle for 
        furthering the national security of the United States;
            (3) this initiative would ensure energy security for 
        Pakistan and India, while strengthening the peace process and 
        fostering greater economic cooperation between the two 
        historically hostile countries; and
            (4) linkages and interdependencies between India and 
        Pakistan such as this initiative should be encouraged as they 
        have the potential to contribute to world peace.
                                 <all>