As India and Pakistan prepare for their first serious meeting in a bid to kick-start a stalled US$4 billion gas pipeline from Iran, fears are rising that the project may again be derailed by growing opposition from the United States.
Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar is due to visit Islamabad next weekend for talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Amanullah Jadoon, amid hopes that an easing of two decades of mistrust between the two nuclear rivals will allow the first serious discussions over the project's technical aspects.
The 2,600km pipeline, known as the 'pipeline of peace', will originate in the South Pars fields in Iran and distribute much-needed gas to the two energy-starved South Asian neighbours.
Conceived in 1994, the pipeline project has never made much headway, mainly because of India's concern about Pakistan's ability to restrict supply.
But after peace talks were initiated last year by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the project is now seen as crucial to lasting peace between the historically antagonistic neighbours.
Analysts say the pipeline could have far-reaching effects on Indian-Pakistani relations by reducing the risk of conflict and giving the peace process a forward push.