The Hindu : National : Abstain from voting on Iran: V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

National

National

Abstain from voting on Iran: V.P. Singh

Special Correspondent

New Delhi: The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, has suggested that India should abstain from the vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran, and play the role of mediator.

``While it is clear that Iran has a right to development of nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes, at the same time it should also respect international agreements regarding the same,'' says the former Prime Minister. According to him for now, India's role should be to strengthen the dialogue between Russia and Iran.

By abstaining, India would signal, first, that New Delhi wanted to prevent confrontation and that it refused to be part of any international flexing of military muscles.

Second, it would also indicate that India retained its diplomatic options, and the concerns expressed at the time of American Ambassador Mulford's statement would stand neutralised. It would also address the concerns at home and after all public opinion mattered. ``India should not be scared of offending anyone,'' in our national interest, he said.

He believed that the "India-U.S. relationship should not be dependent upon one vote." He welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's declaration that India would not be part of any international effort to a change of regime in Iran. ``We have space, we should exercise it,'' he said.

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