PM set for high-wire diplomacy in Iran
13 Aug 2012 8:25 AM IST
In a visit laden with immense symbolic significance, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads to Iran 30 Aug to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, a trip that is expected to not only reinforce India's enduring commitment to the movement but also underline New Delhi's strategic intent to deepen ties with sanctions-hit Tehran.
This will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Iran in over a decade since Atal Bihari Vajpayee's trip in 2001.
The visit is primarily for the 120-member NAM summit Aug 30-31, but the prime minister is also poised to hold a slew of high-profile bilateral meetings on the sidelines. There is a strong possibility of Manmohan Singh meeting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, but this crucial meeting would only be finalized a few days before the summit, reliable sources said.
The highlight of the visit will be Manmohan Singh's bilateral talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a pariah for the Western powers which accuse him of developing a clandestine nuclear weapons programme.
The two sides are currently in the process of firming the agenda, but reliable sources indicated that the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide array of bilateral and regional issues. On the bilateral track, the modus operandi of payments for Iranian oil imports amid tightening Western sanctions are sure to figure in the discussions. Despite Western pressure, India has continued importing Iranian oil and has cited its importance for India's energy security, but has cut down its imports from 12 percent to around 10-11 percent.
A few months ago, India sealed an agreement for paying 45 percent of its oil imports from Iran in rupees. However, after the US and the EU sanctions came into effect over a month ago, shipments have become difficult with not many insurance companies willing to provide transportation cover.
India is also expected to ask Iran to buy more wheat and other commodities to bridge a massive trade deficit, which currently favours Tehran, sources said.
According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), bilateral trade between India and Iran can touch $30 billion by 2015 from the current $13.7 billion.
This will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Iran in over a decade since Atal Bihari Vajpayee's trip in 2001.
The visit is primarily for the 120-member NAM summit Aug 30-31, but the prime minister is also poised to hold a slew of high-profile bilateral meetings on the sidelines. There is a strong possibility of Manmohan Singh meeting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, but this crucial meeting would only be finalized a few days before the summit, reliable sources said.
The highlight of the visit will be Manmohan Singh's bilateral talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a pariah for the Western powers which accuse him of developing a clandestine nuclear weapons programme.
The two sides are currently in the process of firming the agenda, but reliable sources indicated that the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide array of bilateral and regional issues. On the bilateral track, the modus operandi of payments for Iranian oil imports amid tightening Western sanctions are sure to figure in the discussions. Despite Western pressure, India has continued importing Iranian oil and has cited its importance for India's energy security, but has cut down its imports from 12 percent to around 10-11 percent.
A few months ago, India sealed an agreement for paying 45 percent of its oil imports from Iran in rupees. However, after the US and the EU sanctions came into effect over a month ago, shipments have become difficult with not many insurance companies willing to provide transportation cover.
India is also expected to ask Iran to buy more wheat and other commodities to bridge a massive trade deficit, which currently favours Tehran, sources said.
According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), bilateral trade between India and Iran can touch $30 billion by 2015 from the current $13.7 billion.
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