NEW DELHI, April 4 (Reuters) - India and Pakistan renewed their commitment on Wednesday to a controversial pipeline that will supply Iranian gas to their two countries and said they would pursue the project sincerely and seriously.

The South Asian rivals are in talks with Tehran to buy natural gas to be transported through an ambitious $7 billion pipeline that has been opposed by Washington, which says the deal could help fund Iran's alleged nuclear arms programme.

"The two prime ministers discussed the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and reaffirmed their commitment to sincerely and seriously pursue the project for its successful completion," a Pakistani statement said.

The statement followed talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Shaukat Aziz, on Wednesday on the sidelines of a South Asian summit in New Delhi. The two leaders were satisfied with progress made in technical talks between officials of the two countries, that have gone on for years, the statement added.

The pipeline project, which aims to feed the growing energy needs of the subcontinent, has made slow progress due to political tensions between India and Pakistan and differences between New Delhi and Tehran over the latter's controversial nuclear programme.

Washington, which accuses Tehran of developing a covert nuclear weapons programme, has repeatedly sought to discourage India from the project.

But New Delhi has stayed the course despite voting against Iran's nuclear plans at global bodies. The three countries are expected to sign a key agreement on pricing in June that will help the pipeline project take off.

On Tuesday, Aziz said the pipeline would create "linkages and interdependencies" between India and Pakistan and strengthen a slow peace process between the historic rivals who have gone to war three times in the last 60 years.

"That is why this is more than just meeting the energy security needs of India and Pakistan," Aziz told a news conference.

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