New Delhi views Tehran as a friend and important source of energy
India and the European Union (EU) made progress on their Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement and nominated minister-level monitors to push for its early finalisation but it was discussions on regional issues, especially Iran and Syria, that took centre stage at their annual summit here on Friday.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy proclaimed that the EU was against a military solution to resolve the Tehran-West standoff over Iran's nuclear programme and asked India to use its leverage with Iran to “bring it back to the negotiating table.”
“So, we are not working for any military option...We are working for a diplomatic solution to get Iran back on the negotiating table and we, according to our analysis, only bring them back to the table under pressure and under sanctions,” he said defending the latest round of sanctions announced by the U.S. and the EU.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advocated dialogue rather than coercion. He admitted to “problems” with Iran's nuclear programme but said New Delhi viewed Tehran differently from the West — as a close friend and important source of energy to India.
Dr. Singh also indicated India's aversion to a conflict in the Middle East over the Iran question, pointing out that the country wanted peace and stability because of the large number of its nationals (over 60 lakh) working in the Gulf countries.
Iran is India's second largest source of crude but the West has frequently leaned on institutions and countries, ranging from the Asian Clearing Union to Turkey, to cut off the payment route. This has forced India to constantly look for new avenues to pay Iran for approximately Rs. 5,000 crore worth of crude it imports every month from that country.
While the two sides differed on Iran widely with India not in agreement with the West over its plans to impose more sanctions, which are not approved by the United Nations, they seemed to be on the same page on Syria. A joint statement released after the summit also saw both sides adopting a mild formulation on Pakistan.
There was no immediate resolution of complaints by Sikh passengers that they were being asked to take off their turbans during security checks, an insistence which they see as humiliating.
On Syria, the EU and India wanted the world community to back the Arab League's formula for bringing back stability in the country. This solution was brought to the U.N. Security Council but was vetoed by Russia and China, which felt that the West was trying to do another Libya in Syria, a crucial swing country in West Asia.
The joint statement supported a democratic polity in Pakistan and as against India's usual insistence on inserting a line that speaks against those providing sanctuaries to terrorists, settled on stressing the importance of Pakistan to cooperate with countries in the region to eliminate terrorism and dismantle terrorist networks. The statement also wanted an early start to talks on the Fissile Missile Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), which is being resisted by Pakistan.
On Sikhs being asked to take off their turbans during security checks at some EU airports, the statement simply “took note” of their difficulties and “acknowledged the need for effective aviation security measures and discussed the ongoing development of new technologies and methods of addressing security concerns taking into account the dignity of the individuals involved”.
Keywords: Indi-EU relations, India Iran policy
Amazingly, Hindus censors seem oblivious to Juan De La Cruz's racist
sentiments and language expressed in the first post.
Its been established over and over again that the biggest terrorist
State in the world is the U.S. Shouldnt we scrape their white skins off
before they enter our country to check for 'impious' thoughts and
terrorist intentions ?
India has good and valid reasons for not coercing Iran with more sanctions and snapping its relations. India has a different equation with Iran and this has to be explained effectively and forcefully by our foreign missions to the opinion leaders and to the media of all countries.
I dont understand, Why this U.S and EU countries are putting their nose on each and every issue related economical or Domestic of Asians, whatever it may be related to Security, Terrorism or Threat.
Whole world should put sanction on United States for breaking United nation international Law on destroying Iraq. India should put Sanction on America for not returning Bhopal gas disaster and should ask for Warren Anderson's extradition from the USA.The killer who was responsible for killing 30,000 Indians who is wanted in India.
It's strange how India was never consulted when the West sought to
impose their unilateral sanctions against Iran and now that the West
has imposed sanctions, expects India to acquiesce to their demands and
satisfy their agenda by hurting India's domestic economy.
Never trust a western diplomat, particularly an Europeans diplomat -
they are all imperialists and mercantilism exploiters. They are just
angry to see India getting a good deal on oil while they are
abstaining and not getting good deals.
At least one attempt has already been made to smuggle a lethal object on board an airplane in a turban. It is completely inevitable, given the certainty that hurt feelings will as usual prevail in this matter too, that an act of terrorism will eventually be achieved by means of a turban, and then of course everyone will blame the evil racist western security forces that did not do enough to protect Indians blah blah blah.
India's stand towards Iran for following only UN imposed sanctions owes a glowing tribute while it has established an Indian Rupee Mechanism for payments of the Iranian Oil against which Iran can import legitimate Indian Goods and services for projects.
The need of the hour is to liberalize the business visas for Iranian businessmen on fast track which is subject to certain clearances so that they could visit their counter parts in India and avail the purchasing facility under mechanism of Indian Rupees as mere sending Indian delegations to Iran for business exploration cannot be successful without reciprocal visits of Iranian businessmen.
The Rupee mechanism payment will only be successful if the Iranian businessmen are allowed and welcome by granting Business Visas on the fast track.
You cannot trust people with towels on their heads. Even for a dollar they will switch loyalty and friendship. Larry Ellison & Bill Gates are fooled by this towel heads to bring tech big business to India. Stop convincing these towel heads. They want to play hard ball because they want something in return. Just skip them in the diplomatic deals. Once there is a war they will realize that they are too will be affected somehow somewhere.
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