PM meets Venezuelan, Iranian Presidents

HAVANA: The possibilities of investment by Venezuela, a major oil producer, in India's infrastructure and energy sectors and the Indo-Iran gas pipeline came up for discussion during the meetings Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with the Presidents of the two countries on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Havana.

The Prime Minister also met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and leaders of Mongolia, Mauritius and Nepal on Saturday and discussed bilateral matters.

During his meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, a major source of energy for India, the subject of Iran-India gas pipeline for which technical work was still to be done came up, Foreign Secretary-designate P Shivshankar Menon told reporters.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez discussed the potential for investment in the Indian energy and infrastructure sectors and pharmaceuticals area. India not only sourced crude oil from Venezuela but the Indian companies were also involved in exploration of oil in offshore areas.

Chavez, who did not not refer to the role of Indian leaders in the founding of the NAM in his inaugural ceremony speech at the summit of the 118-nation grouping, spoke of his admiration for Singh's role in the South Commission during the bilateral meeting.

In the speech on behalf of Latin America at the inaugural ceremony, Chavez had referred to the role of the late Tito, Sukarno and Nasser. Later, he had spoken of Singh's role in the South Commission.