‘Iran ties not in contradiction with US relationship’

Amid increasing pressure from the US to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil, India today said its ties with Tehran is neither inconsistent with non-proliferation objectives nor is in contradiction with its relationships with the West.

“Our relationship with Iran is neither inconsistent with our non-proliferation objectives, nor is it in contradiction with the relationships that we have with our friends in West Asia or with the United States and Europe,” visiting Foreign Secretary, Mr Ranjan Mathai, told a think-tank here.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mr Mathai said India’s position on the question of Iran’s nuclear programme is well-known.

“Our votes in IAEA speak for themselves,” he said amid pressure from the Obama Administration, US lawmakers and influential policy makers to stop purchasing oil from Iran.

“We believe that while Iran has rights to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, it must also fulfil its international obligations as a non-nuclear weapon state under the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. We would like to see the issue resolved peacefully through negotiations,” he said.

“We hope that negotiations between P5+1 and Iran would resume soon and contribute to a positive outcome,” he said.

“Iran is our near neighbour, our only surface access to Central Asia and Afghanistan, and constitutes a declining but still a significant share — currently under 10 per cent — of our oil imports. For us, there are also broader and long-term geo strategic concerns that are no different from what we face elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Mathai said.

He stressed that peace and stability and a climate of moderation in West Asia are absolutely vital for India.

“We not only have strong political and economic ties with countries in the region, but also enjoy a warm relationship with their people,” he said.

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