India on Tuesday said it is opposed to any sanctions on Iran that would have a direct impact on the common people of the country and hoped the issues between Tehran and the international community will be resolved through dialogue.
“It continues to be our view that sanctions that target Iranian people and cause difficulties to the ordinary man, woman and child would not be conducive to a resolution of this question,” Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said in response to a question at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington-based think-tank.
She was delivering a lecture on ‘Two Democracies -- Defining te Essence of India-US Partnership’
Led by the US, international community the UN Security Council in particular is now contemplating sanctions against Iran; though it is not known what form those sanctions would take place.
“We do not want more instability in that region. Iran is very much a part of our region. Iran for instance has a very important role to play in the developing situation in Afghanistan and we of course have strong bilateral ties with Iran,” the Foreign Secretary said.
Ms. Rao, who was in Tehran last month to hold talks with her Iranian counterparts, said India has long historical and cultural ties with Iran.
She said Iran needs to short this matter out with transparency and through meaningful dialogue with the international interlocutors concerned.
“We believe, Iran has both rights and responsibilities. Responsibilities, stemming from its membership of the NPT and also rights to develop its nuclear energy for peaceful process,” Ms. Rao said.
Hoping that the situation does not get complicated further, Foreign Secretary said that “we try and resolve this issue through further dialogue.”
