London/Port of Spain: India on Friday joined the US, Russia, China and others at the IAEA in censuring Iran over its nuclear programme and asked the Islamic nation to stop uranium enrichment and allow international verification.
At the same time, India opposed any "renewed punitive" action on the basis of the latest resolution passed by the 35-member Board of Governors of the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) against Iran in Austrian capital Vienna. It is for the third time in four years that India is voting for a resolution against Iran at
the IAEA.
An External Affairs Ministry statement also underscored that the path of dialogue should not be given up.
25 countries voted in favour of the resolution spearheaded by the US. The resolution was endorsed by six major world powers--the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany-- reflecting a rare measure of unity on Iran.
India voted in favour of the resolution contending that it could not ignore conclusions of IAEA Director General Mohammad El Baradei who has said that there has been "no movement on remaining issues of concern" which need to be clarified for the Agency to verify the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
The resolution demanded that Iran immediately suspend construction of its newly-revealed uranium enrichment plant at Qom--a site kept secret until recently.
The resolution ‘Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran’ demanded that Iran immediately suspend construction of its newly-revealed uranium enrichment plant at Qom--a site kept secret until recently.
It asked Tehran to reveal the purpose of the plant and the chronology of its construction and wanted it to "confirm... that (it) has not taken a decision to construct, or authorise construction of, any other nuclear facility which has as yet not been declared to the agency."
Significantly, Russia and China, which had been opposing any resolution, also backed it.
Venezuela, Malaysia and Cuba voted against the resolution while six countries -- Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey -- abstained. Azerbaijan was absent from the vote.
It is the first time since February 2006 that the IAEA board has passed a resolution against that country.
Decision taken at highest level
According to sources, India's decision to vote against Iran was taken at the highest level.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in Port of Spain to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), consulted Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on the issue.
An indication of India's stand at the IAEA was given by Singh during his just-concluded visit to the US where he reiterated the country's position that it does not support Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions.
"India has considered the role of the DG has having a vital bearing on the consideration of all issues by the Board of Governors. The conclusions he has drawn in his report are therefore difficult to ignore," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
MEA’s statement
India's explanation of Vote at the IAEA noted the DG concluded that Iran's failure to notify the Agency of the existence of new facility until September 2009, rather than soon after the decision to construct it or to authorise construction was taken, was inconsistent with its obligations under the Subsidiary.
Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement and that Iran's late declaration of the new facility reduces confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction in Iran which have not been declared to the Agency.
"We do not believe that the adoption of this resolution should divert the parties away from dialogue. This resolution cannot be the basis of a renewed punitive approach or new sanctions," the MEA said in a statement.
"In fact, the coming weeks should be used by all concerned to expand the diplomatic space to satisfactorily address all outstanding issues," the MEA said, adding "India firmly supports keeping the door open for dialogue and avoidance of confrontation."
The MEA said India's "support for the resolution is based
on the key points contained in the Report of the DG."
"During previous Board meetings, we had underlined the
critical importance of continued cooperation and dialogue
between the Agency and Iran. The Agency's safeguards system is
the bedrock of the international community's confidence that
peaceful uses of nuclear energy and non-proliferation
objectives can be pursued in a balanced manner. The integrity
of this system should be preserved," it said.
"In recent months we were encouraged by the new pathways
of engagement that had opened up with Iran, including the
recent meetings in Geneva and Vienna which gave rise to hopes
of constructive and productive results," the Ministry said.
The MEA pointed out that India has consistently
supported the right of all states to the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy consistent with the respective obligations that
they have undertaken.
"In Iran's case, which is a signatory to the NPT, it
has all the rights and obligations that go with its membership
of the NPT pertaining to the use of nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes," it said.
"We also underline the importance of the full and
effective implementation of all safeguards obligations
undertaken by member states of the IAEA," the MEA added.
India, while persistently favouring dialogue, has
maintained that IAEA should be the nodal authority to decide
on the issue.
Addressing the Council On Foreign Relations (CFR), a
leading US think-tank, in Washington on Monday, Singh said,
"As far as Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions are concerned I
have stated it unambiguously on several occasions that we
don't support nuclear ambitions of Iran."
While as a signatory to NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty) it has all the rights that flow from the NPT for the
use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it has
obligations that go with its membership, he said in reply to a
question.
"There is no ambiguity in our position and we are
quite clear in our thinking that Iran should not go in for
nuclear weapon or all that is inconsistent with obligations as
member of NPT," he said.
The Prime Minister had also made it clear that India
would abide any sanctions imposed by the Security Council on
Iran, but indicated that he favoured the path of engagement
with Iran.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 28, 2009, 00:10