US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI1664

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ELAB, ENRG, IZ, IN, India-Iraq 
SUBJECT: INDIA REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR IRAQ, BUT NO NEW 
INITIATIVES 
 
REF: STATE 30179 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert O. Blake, Jr., for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Outgoing MEA Joint Secretary (Gulf Division) 
R. Dayakar and his successor Sanjay Singh reiterated GOI 
willingness to support Iraq's reconstruction, but offered no 
new initiatives in a meeting with PolCouns and PolMilOff on 
March 3.  Assistance to Iraq will continue to be constrained 
by what the UPA's Left parties and the Congress Party will 
support.  Despite these constraints, Indo-Iraq trade 
continues, especially in the oil sector.  India hopes to 
reactivate a pre-2001 contract for oil exploration in Iraq. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Presenting a non-paper encouraging support for the 
Iraqi transitional government (Reftel), PolCouns expressed 
appreciation for GOI statements following the January 30 
elections, and noted that support for the democratic 
transition in Iraq remains among the USG's highest 
priorities. 
 
3.  (C) Dayakar reviewed current GOI support for Iraq: 
training and scholarships in India for Iraqis and a new 
program to produce high energy biscuits for the World Food 
Program for distribution in Iraq.  Earlier proposals such as 
the dispatch of a military hospital to Najaf would be 
activated when the security situation improves, he promised. 
In the meantime, the travel ban on Indian citizens traveling 
to Iraq remains in effect, and sending Indian troops will not 
be considered.  He confirmed that the GOI will participate in 
the donors' conference for Iraq in April. 
 
4.  (SBU) PolCouns asked about a March 2 article in "The 
Asian Age" about hundreds of Indian agricultural workers from 
the Indian state of Andra Pradesh who migrate to Iraq each 
month despite the travel ban, seeking work in military camps, 
construction sites, and transport companies.  Dayakar opined 
that most of these workers are actually looking for work in 
other Gulf States, but are lured to Iraq by unscrupulous 
manpower agents. 
 
5.  (C) Despite the travel ban, Indo-Iraq trade continues, 
Dayakar explained.  Notably, oil trade with Iraq has 
increased and will continue to do grow as India's state-owned 
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) pre-2001 contract 
for oil exploration is reactivated.  According to Dayakar, 
Iraq is one of several countries where India is pursuing new 
oil exploration opportunities. 
 
6.  (C) In the aftermath of the January 30 elections, 
PolCouns commented on positive changes in Iraq and 
internationally:  that some observers had noted that the 
insurgency may be losing support because of the elections, 
and that even opponents to Coalition intervention in Iraq are 
making constructive statements.  Recalling a GOI official's 
comment that Indian Parliamentary politics are "lagging 
behind reality" in the case of Iraq, PolCouns asked about MP 
interest in Iraq in the current session of Parliament. 
Dayakar responded that Parliament is a fair barometer of 
public interest, and that there had been 2-3 queries on 
facts, not policies, submitted by Parliament the previous 
day.  In the absence of a new political directive, he 
indicated that GOI policy would continue on its current 
cautious path. 
 
7.  (C) PolCouns also asked about the status of GOI 
acceptance of the agrement for the Iraqi ambassador-designate 
to India.  Dayakar said the agrement had been held up for 
"technical reasons."  (Note:  According to Iraqi Charge S. 
Husayn, the agrement has been pending since September.) 
However, he promised fast-track consideration of the agrement 
and indicated that the GOI would revive its invitation for an 
Iraqi Foreign Minister visit to New Delhi as soon as the 
transitional government is selected. 
8.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
MULFORD