On Iran, there must be consensus: Natwar to Rice

Sticking to its stand on Iran, India today called for intensive diplomatic consultations on evolving an international consensus on how to de...

Sticking to its stand on Iran, India today called for intensive diplomatic consultations on evolving an international consensus on how to deal with Tehran’s decision to continue uranium enrichment programme despite American and European pressure to abandon it.

The Iran issue figured prominently during a 45-minute meeting here that External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh had with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, which a senior official said was held in a ‘‘cordial and friendly atmosphere’’.

The Singh-Rice meeting comes within a week of the meeting here between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W Bush during which it was made clear that India did not want another nuclear weapon state in its neighbourhood.

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It also took place a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the UN General Assembly that it would continue its uranium enrichment programme, asserting it was only for peaceful purposes. Washington fears that Tehran would divert the enriched uranium for making nuclear weapons.

Ahead of his meeting, Natwar Singh had in a TV interview said India was not apologetic about its relations with Iran, while hoping that Tehran’s nuclear issue would be sorted out within the IAEA framework during the Vienna meet. — PTI