On board PM's aircraft: Expressing surprise at the remarks of a senior United States official to the effect that India had "assured" Washington that its energy deals with Iran were only "hypothetical" and "years away,"

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said his Government had not provided any such assurances.

In a speech at Johns Hopkins University on December 1, Nicholas Burns, U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said, "The

Indians have assured us there is no plan on the table that is ready for decision by the Iranian and Indian governments, that any plans, any discussions, have been hypothetical and are years away." Mr. Burns is the Bush administration's point man on Iran, and its chief interlocutor with India.

Though Mr. Saran said he had not seen a text of the speech, he denied such an assurance had been conveyed.

"I do not know who it is who is supposed to have assured him because it certainly was not us," the Foreign Secretary said in response to a question from reporters.

"On the contrary, there is an LNG deal that is very much on the cards, though the Iranians have not signed the final documents," he added. "Moreover, we have told the U.S. that Iran, too, is our strategic partner, that apart from historic ties, there is also the energy relationship."

Russia's interest

In a press conference during his return flight from Moscow, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh noted that Russia had shown interest in the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and said this matter "will be considered along with all other issues that are relevant." He said a feasibility study had been conducted and that India was interested in the pipeline proposal because it is very short of hydrocarbons. "We need supplies, so if this proposal materialises, it is for the better."

Asked whether Russia's expression of interest helped to allay some of the fears he had raised in July about the financial viability of the Iran project, the Prime Minister said it did. "It helps if more countries come on board," he said. "Russia is the second largest producer of hydrocarbons, so it does help."

Mr. Saran said the pipeline would go through if it was found to be financially viable. "Political considerations will not matter. The economics of the project have to justify it."

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