Israel wants India to explore gas, sign trade pact

[SpArK]

Israel wants India to explore gas, sign trade pact
24/02/2014

Israel has invited Indian companies to take part in extracting natural gas from its newly-found reserves, with 40 percent of the produced hydrocarbon reserved for exports, even as it wants talks on a free trade pact to fructify soon.

Israeli Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz said his country will soon emerge as one of the biggest producers of natural gas and is willing to export it to India, which imports around 80 percent of its oil needs mostly from the Persian Gulf countries.

"Our plan is to keep 60 percent of the produce for domestic use, while the remaining 40 percent will be exported," Ushpiz said during an interaction with IANS editors, adding: "India, being one of the largest importers, will be the natural target."

The offshore gas reserves in the Mediterranean Sea, which extends from the coasts of Israel, Lebanon and Syria in the east to Cyprus in the west, is estimated to hold 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil - the biggest discovery in 10 years.

"Our plan is to keep 60 percent of the product for domestic use, while the remaining 40 percent will be exported," said Ushpiz, adding that India, being one of the largest importers, will be the natural target market.

A consortium led by Houston-based Noble Energy is developing the Tamar field in the Mediterranean Sea, located nearly 90 km west of Israel's port city of Haifa. Supply of gas from Tamar started in March 2013 for Israel's domestic use.

Another field named Leviathan in the Mediterranean Sea is also being developed by the Noble Energy-led consortium. The production is expected to start by 2017.

Ushpiz said Israel would be happy to see Indian companies' participation in these gas fields. "Any Indian company is free to participate, private or government-run." But he clarified that the country bars any company that has dealings with Iran.

Besides energy, the ambassador said, Israel is keen to enhance cooperation with India in other sectors like information technology, defence, water management and agriculture.

With a view to supporting joint technological ventures, Israel and India recently agreed to set up a $40 million joint fund. Both the countries will contribute $20 million each to the fund over a period of five years.

Ushpiz said Israel is keen to further enhance the corpus of the fund and also encourage private participation in it.

On the ongoing talks for a free trade agreement, Ushpiz said: "It's a very complicated set of negotiations. It has been going on for more than three years now. Unfortunately, so far, we have not been able to conclude the negotiations."

But once the agreement is signed, India-Israel bilateral trade could rise three-fold in three -five years, the ambassador stated at the IANS office.

"The agreement is a strategic game changer to what we can and should do together. The minute we have a free trade agreement, the volume of trade is going to be much bigger. It is going to be larger by two-three fold in three-five years," he said.

"It will also change the composition of trade and remove the focus from the traditional things that we may be doing for the past 10 years to things which we should do together with high technology," the ambassador added.

India-Israel trade stood at $4.44 billion in 2012, down 14.3 percent from the previous year's $5.19 billion due to a slowdown. The balance of trade was in Israel's favour by $573 million, according to data available with India's external affairs ministry.

In the first nine months of 2013, the two-way trade stood at $3.24 billion.



Isreael wants India to explore gas, sign trade pact

 

[Levina]

But he clarified that the country bars any company that has dealings with Iran

So is that also an attempt to stifle the India's relations with Iran???
Its a fact that Iran sells us cheaper gas and is a better friend than Israel.

 

[surya kiran]

So is that also an attempt to stifle the India's relations with Iran???
Its a fact that Iran sells us cheaper gas and is a better friend than Israel.

The country can deal with Iran. The company should not deal with Iran. Its business. Their rules. Float another company and get it to invest in the Israeli thing. Quite day to day work for the foreign office.

 

[Dem!god]

Besides energy, the ambassador said, Israel is keen to enhance cooperation with India in other sectors like information technology, defence, water management and agriculture.

we already have co-operation in agriculture field....and all other...including defense, water management, and Info-technology...

rajasthan is becoming hub for olive production in india .with Israeli co-operation..... and water management technology...

So is that also an attempt to stifle the India's relations with Iran???
Its a fact that Iran sells us cheaper gas and is a better friend than Israel.

really you think so....Israel want to stifle our relation with Iran...I highly doubt it.....
Isreal know about Indo-iran relation and has no problem with it.....
its more of b'coz of their enmity .....
may be yes...but I will put my faith in israel b'coz all the defense equipment we buy from them and the numerous time they have helped us....

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

The country can deal with Iran. The company should not deal with Iran. Its business. Their rules. Float another company and get it to invest in the Israeli thing. Quite day to day work for the foreign office.

In Honestly, Israel would want India to be friends with Iran. It gives them flexibility, even asking Iran to persuade on some issues concerning Israel.

 

[Levina]

Isreal know about Indo-iran relation and has no problem with it.....
.

The country can deal with Iran. The company should not deal with Iran. .

I have my doubts...
What I had pointed out was just the tip of iceberg.Soon after news flashed over the globe about a thawing of relations between Iran and the United States after the Geneva nuclear accord several reports surfaced analyzing how India is going to benefit from the breakthrough.....while Israel has watched it with jaundiced eyes and denounced it as a "historic mistake".
Due to the thaw the shipping activities which have remained visibly hampered would increase. Most importantly India's import of Iranian crude oil is expected to witness some flow in the coming months...though we still have to find out a final solution to the oil payment imbroglio.
I know Israel is the second largest arms supplier to India..just next to Russia...our military trade was US$10 billion in last one decade.Now thats significant.And thats exactly where our problem starts..
Doubts have already been raised about certain impact of the mentioned nuclear deal on India Israel defense cooperation.Almost a decade back...a good defense relationship was maintained between New Delhi and Tehran.
But somewhere in the mid 2000s when Iran sought India's help in refitting and maintaining its armored tanks and other military vehicles..India had to decline them....partly due to intense pressure from the US.
Israel had raised its concerns over a few military exercises jointly conducted by Indian and Iranian navies during the mid 2000s. Another Israeli concern was that India might transfer Israeli based military technology or training to Iran.
This issue even brought Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to India in 2003.
Then Israel even asked for "explicit guarantees" from India that we would refrain from transferring any Israeli origin technology to a third country....especially Iran."
Lets not forget how after signing of Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005 there was pressure of the US on India to scale down its defense ties with Tehran...which was considered to be a condition for the nuclear deal. But now owing to the Geneva nuclear deal there is possibility of India and Iran defence ties reaching new heights.And if it happens Iran would obviously like to lure the Indian defense planners with its military and defense equipment such as ground surveillance radar systems, personnel carriers, drones, destroyers, submarines, and missile-launching frigates. Tehran might use its military sales to gain political support as well as to revive its crumbled economy. Such diplomatic tools have already been used very successfully by Israel since the mid1960s and continue even today.
Now this is what provoked Israeli president Peres to voice his concern over the Iranian nuclear program and even asked New Delhi not to remain "neutral" to the issue in 2013.And going by the record in the past India voted against Iran at the IAEA for its noncompliance to disclose intentions of its nuclear program....
Israel is also concerned about how India is gradually steering an independent foreign policy approach in the Middle East and most likely it is going to do the same with Iran as well.
Iran also had its own concerns over India-Israel defense ties...which became very prominent when India in 2008 launched TechSAR ...the Israeli surveillance satellite also called as Polaris...which was believed to be capable of providing information on strategic installations in Iran.
Not only the Iranians but some from the Indian political class had criticized such strategic cooperation especially at a time when Indo-Iranian relations were deteriorating due to New Delhi's vote in the IAEA against Iran and the resulting energy stalemate. Iran had asked India to refrain from permitting any other countries to conduct such operations on "friendly countries like Iran." But....India had to make the Faustian bargain for its own growing advancement in the field of space technology...it worked today we have chandrayaan and mangalyaan.
Yes..India and Israel are escalating their defense cooperation. But how can one forget the bribery and corruption in some arms deals in the past and the famous blacklisting of Israel Military Industries (IMI) in 2012.Also India has always had issues over Israel's prolonged delay in delivering weapons systems and some unsettled cost issues.
For Israel India is one of the big markets which is filling up the voids left by its ex clients such as Turkey and People's Republic of China.
Frankly India is gonna be sandwiched in between Israel and Iran and 'll have to navigate its foreign relations very tactfully to preserve its wider national interests.
India had to really walk a tightrope an year back because of the attack on an Israeli diplomat. And Israel accused Iran for such attack wherein Delhi was used as their battleground. Many in India and around had blamed these two ...Israel and Iran ...for bringing their conflicts into the Asia-Pacific region.
Keeping in mind the strategic importance of Israel and Iran ties...right now India is very uneasy about the tensions mounting up between the two.
The next govt after the elections must be cognizant of the changing reality of the Israeli Iranian standoff. And we'll need to take up a very proactive role as a mediator.
So my conclusion is India should separate its Iranian policies from that of Israeli strategic policies and should not let one dictate the other.
But this deal is just about the same...dictating terms to India.
Phewwww

 

[Dem!god]

I have my doubts...
What I had pointed out was just the tip of iceberg.Soon after news flashed over the globe about a thawing of relations between Iran and the United States after the Geneva nuclear accord several reports surfaced analyzing how India is going to benefit from the breakthrough.....while Israel has watched it with jaundiced eyes and denounced it as a "historic mistake".
Due to the thaw the shipping activities which have remained visibly hampered would increase. Most importantly India's import of Iranian crude oil is expected to witness some flow in the coming months...though we still have to find out a final solution to the oil payment imbroglio.
I know Israel is the second largest arms supplier to India..just next to Russia...our military trade was US$10 billion in last one decade.Now thats significant.And thats exactly where our problem starts..
Doubts have already been raised about certain impact of the mentioned nuclear deal on India Israel defense cooperation.Almost a decade back...a good defense relationship was maintained between New Delhi and Tehran.
But somewhere in the mid 2000s when Iran sought India's help in refitting and maintaining its armored tanks and other military vehicles..India had to decline them....partly due to intense pressure from the US.
Israel had raised its concerns over a few military exercises jointly conducted by Indian and Iranian navies during the mid 2000s. Another Israeli concern was that India might transfer Israeli based military technology or training to Iran.
This issue even brought Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to India in 2003.
Then Israel even asked for "explicit guarantees" from India that we would refrain from transferring any Israeli origin technology to a third country....especially Iran."
Lets not forget how after signing of Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005 there was pressure of the US on India to scale down its defense ties with Tehran...which was considered to be a condition for the nuclear deal. But now owing to the Geneva nuclear deal there is possibility of India and Iran defence ties reaching new heights.And if it happens Iran would obviously like to lure the Indian defense planners with its military and defense equipment such as ground surveillance radar systems, personnel carriers, drones, destroyers, submarines, and missile-launching frigates. Tehran might use its military sales to gain political support as well as to revive its crumbled economy. Such diplomatic tools have already been used very successfully by Israel since the mid1960s and continue even today.
Now this is what provoked Israeli president Peres to voice his concern over the Iranian nuclear program and even asked New Delhi not to remain "neutral" to the issue in 2013.And going by the record in the past India voted against Iran at the IAEA for its noncompliance to disclose intentions of its nuclear program....
Israel is also concerned about how India is gradually steering an independent foreign policy approach in the Middle East and most likely it is going to do the same with Iran as well.
Iran also had its own concerns over India-Israel defense ties...which became very prominent when India in 2008 launched TechSAR ...the Israeli surveillance satellite also called as Polaris...which was believed to be capable of providing information on strategic installations in Iran.
Not only the Iranians but some from the Indian political class had criticized such strategic cooperation especially at a time when Indo-Iranian relations were deteriorating due to New Delhi's vote in the IAEA against Iran and the resulting energy stalemate. Iran had asked India to refrain from permitting any other countries to conduct such operations on "friendly countries like Iran." But....India had to make the Faustian bargain for its own growing advancement in the field of space technology...it worked today we have chandrayaan and mangalyaan.
Yes...the India and Israel are escalating their defense cooperation. But how can one forget the bribery and corruption in some arms deals in the past and the famous blacklisting of Israel Military Industries (IMI) in 2012.Also India has always had issues over Israel's prolonged delay in delivering weapons systems and some unsettled cost issues.
For Israel India is one of the big markets which are filling up the voids left by its ex clients such as Turkey and People's Republic of China.
Frankly India is gonna be sandwiched in between Israel and Iran and 'll have to navigate its foreign relations very tactfully to preserve its wider national interests.
India had to really walk a tightrope an year back because of the attack on an Israeli diplomat. And Israel accused Iran for such attack wherein Delhi was used as their battleground. Many in India and around had blamed these two ...Israel and Iran ...for bringing their conflicts into the Asia-Pacific region.
Keeping in mind the strategic importance of Israel and Iran ties...right now India is very uneasy about the tensions mounting up between the two.
The next govt after the elections must be cognizant of the changing reality of the Israeli Iranian standoff. And we'll need to take up a very proactive role as a mediator.
So my conclusion is India should separate its Iranian policies from that of Israeli strategic policies and should not let one dictate the other.
But this deal is just about the same...dictating terms to India.
Phewwww

damn woman ...why do you have to write such a big essay.....
just by seeing the length my interest of reading and answering hit the bottom mark of my enthusiasm.....
Ohhhh......will first read it ...then will comment....

 

[Levina]

damn woman ...why do you have to write such a big essay.....
just by seeing the length my interest of reading and answering hit the bottom mark of my enthusiasm.....
Ohhhh......will first read it ...then will comment....

It took me a day to research the stuff...you better read it.
I usually like silencing my critics with one post....and I thought this would be enough for those who plan to couter me in the future too....my signature should have cleared it.
Btw take your time....
My shortest conclusion is and was that Israel should not be allowed to dictate terms of any energy deals with India.With even the GCC countries looking forward to relaxing their policies towards the Islamic republic I think India should not turn regressive.

 

[arp2041]

So is that also an attempt to stifle the India's relations with Iran???
Its a fact that Iran sells us cheaper gas and is a better friend than Israel.

Reliance OUT, ONGC OUT so who LEFT??

& no one is better than other, we need good relations with both nations.

 

[Dem!god]

a female giving her POV seems to be generally regarded as something more like writing from the perspective of a deer: you might get points for novelty, but it'd be impossible to get right, and who really wants to hear a deer narrate a story, anyway?

so, you are angry again.....

 

[Levina]

& no one is better than other, we need good relations with both nations.

Thats exactly I said...but none of these nations should "dictate" the terms to us.
I understand when it comes to defence we might have to give in to Israel's demand.
But energy deals should be dealt with separately...India is a country which imports about 80% of fuel for its domestic needs.We need Israel...We need Iran.

so, you are angry again.....

Nohhh am just frustrated....

 

[Dem!god]

Last nite I told you...i am just frustrated ...and you know the reason.

aahhhh...yes ..it is your ache....
...what was I thinking........

 

[jarves]

Doubts have already been raised about certain impact of the mentioned nuclear deal on India Israel defense

Can you tell what the doubts are??

.And if it happens Iran would obviously like to lure the Indian defense planners with its military and defense equipment such as ground surveillance radar systems, personnel carriers, drones, destroyers, submarines, and missile-launching frigates.

We produce better things than Iran

Now this is what provoked Israeli president Peres to voice his concern over the Iranian nuclear program and even asked New Delhi not to remain "neutral" to the issue in 2013.And going by the record in the past India voted against Iran at the IAEA for its noncompliance to disclose intentions of its nuclear program....

We did the right thing even if we had voted against the resolution we still would have not attained the minimum no. of votes needed.

Iran also had its own concerns over India-Israel defense ties...which became very prominent when India in 2008 launched TechSAR ...the Israeli surveillance satellite also called as Polaris...which was believed to be capable of providing information on strategic installations in Iran.
Not only the Iranians but some from the Indian political class had criticized such strategic cooperation especially
at a time when Indo-Iranian relations were deteriorating due to New Delhi's vote in the IAEA against Iran and the resulting energy stalemate.

I already explained why we voted against Iran.
And about this polaris satellite,how do you think we were able to build Greenpine radars and and our own Risat satellite in such a short time ?? ....

So my conclusion is India should separate its Iranian policies from that of Israeli strategic policies and should not let one dictate the other.

Thats exactly what we are doing.

But this deal is just about the same...dictating terms to India.

Not really,that minister's statement was just for political consumption.

 

[Levina]

Can you tell what the doubts are??
.

Ohhhh ....
1)Israel's doubts were heightened when India decided to invite Iran but keep Israel out of its most prestigious international petroleum conference, Petrotech-2014....
2) then like the mid 1990s we might have more navy and army exercises with Iran.
For obvious reasons these worry Israel.

And about polaris...I have maintained it was good decision to not vote for Iran and get Israel to support our space R&D.

 

[jarves]

1)Israel's doubts were heightened when India decided to invite Iran but keep Israel out of its most prestigious international petroleum conference, Petrotech-2014....

When this happened??
Please share some links.

2) then like the mid 1990s we might have more navy and army exercises with Iran..

1990's was different time,we didnt even recognise Israel at that time.