India Rejects US Call for It to Pressure Iran on Nuclear Bid

Source: AFP, 23-04-2008
NEW DELHI -India on Tuesday told Washington to mind its own business after a U.S. official said New Delhi should urge Iran to curtail its nuclear program during a visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Iranian president will arrive in New Delhi on April 29 for a one-day "working visit" topped by talks on two multi-billion-dollar energy deals, an Indian foreign ministry official said this week.
"India and Iran are ancient civilizations whose relations span centuries," said a brief statement from India's foreign ministry Tuesday.
And in apparent reference to comments from Washington, the statement added: "Both nations are perfectly capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention.
"Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations."
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Monday that Washington would like to see New Delhi call on Iran to cease enriching uranium.
Casey also said India should put pressure on Iran to "become a more responsible actor on the world stage."
"We'd also certainly encourage them to ask Iran to end its rather unhelpful activities with respect to Iraq, with respect to support for terrorism," said Casey in response to a question on the visit.
Energy-hungry India, which imports more than 70% of its energy needs, has been racing to secure new supplies of oil and gas to sustain its booming economic growth.
New Delhi has been in talks with Iran, which has the world's second largest known gas reserves after Russia, on two major projects, including a 2,600- kilometer (1,615-mile) pipeline via Pakistan.
India also signed a deal with Tehran in 2005 for the supply of five million metric tons of gas each year for 25 years, but both deals are stalled over price disputes.
New Delhi, which is also in the process of trying to finalize a civilian nuclear energy cooperation deal with the United States, has been under pressure from the U.S. not to do business with Iran.
But aside from an Indian vote against Iran at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in 2005, that pressure appeared to be backfiring.
Left-wing allies of India's coalition government have stalled the deal with the U.S., even though it could end India's own nuclear isolation, citing fears that it leaves New Delhi vulnerable to Washington's influence.