"We do not accept the hidden and secret nuclear programme of Iran. But we have no negative position on the trilateral gas project, which is still at the study level," the official said. Energy dialogue is one of the key areas of India-EU co-operation after the bilateral relationship was upgraded to 'strategic partnership' level last year. The EU, which has tremendous expertise on energy conservation, started a wide-ranging energy dialogue at the foreign secretary level on 29 June in Brussels. The Indian delegation is being headed by foreign secretary Shyam Saran. The dialogue is expected to cover all aspects of energy, with a special emphasis on energy security, particularly in the face of surging global oil prices. Both India and EU largely depend on imports for their oil requirements. Energy is among the areas on which an action plan is being worked out for strengthening Indian-EU co-operation, and which is expected to be unveiled during the next India-EU summit scheduled for 7 September in New Delhi. British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mark Lyall Grant, has said that UK supported the Indo-Iran trans-national gas pipeline through Pakistan. Addressing a round table on British and Pakistan economic relations with reference to Baluchistan, he said that the gas pipeline project was a "win-win venture" for India, Pakistan, and Iran. He said that both India and Pakistan need new sources of energy for their industries, and the project would benefit all the countries involved in it. He said that while India needed energy, Pakistan had the route and Iran, the gas; he further said that many companies would consider the investment opportunities provided by the project once it was finalized. BHP Billiton, one of the world's largest diversified resources companies, has said that there are sufficient features in the pre-feasibility study of the Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline to ensure safety. The BHP report, which was the reference point during discussions between Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon on the project, says that the pipeline would be buried to a depth varying between 0.9m and 1.5m and would use fibre-optic cable sensing systems with a back-up satellite link for monitoring. Maintenance units would be located every 150km with pipe sections ready to install if there is a disruption to the 2600-km pipeline, 760-km of which is to pass through Pakistan. "Any disruption to the pipeline can be rectified within two to three days. The line-pack capacity will be about three days, which can take care of disruptions as well as the wide fluctuations in Pakistan's gas demand," the report says. As additional precaution, BHP has recommended that both India and Pakistan build gas storage facilities that could take care of a fortnight's demand.