Iran Eyes Indian Support as Nuclear Row Escalates

Y.P. Rajesh, Reuters:

Iran's top nuclear negotiator held talks with Indian leaders on Wednesday to garner support for Tehran's controversial nuclear program and stave off a threat of sanctions, Indian officials said. READ MORE

Ali Larijani's two-day visit to the Indian capital came days ahead of a trip to Tehran by Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh, aimed at building contacts with Iran's new leadership.

India is facing a delicate balancing act as it tries to maintain a longstanding friendship with Iran while moving closer to Washington, which wants Tehran to halt what it says is a secret nuclear weapons program.

India has so far merely said that Iran should abide by its international obligations but has refused to join Western condemnation of its nuclear program.

"We are old friends and we have a lot of experiences to share," an Indian foreign ministry official told Reuters.

"Iran needs to strengthen its position on the (nuclear) issue and it is natural that they will turn to old friends first," said the official, who did not want to be named.

The Iranian negotiator held talks with Singh and Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan.

Larijani's visit comes after negotiations between Iran and the European Union over resolving the nuclear row broke down this month when Tehran rejected an offer of incentives in return for a suspension of sensitive nuclear work.

The move to call off the talks marked a breakdown in two years of negotiations and has raised the threat of sanctions against Iran.

The Islamic republic says it wants nuclear technology only to cope with booming electricity demand. The EU and the United States suspect it of secretly trying to build nuclear weapons.

Traditional ties with Iran have put India in a tight spot as the United States -- with which New Delhi's ties have improved dramatically in recent years -- has eyed the relationship with suspicion.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in March that Washington was concerned about New Delhi's plans for a billion gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan to energy-hungry India.

Analysts say that pressure has only multiplied after President Bush, in a landmark decision last month, agreed to assist India's civilian atomic power program.

The gas pipeline would be high on Foreign Minister Singh's agenda in Tehran but no deal was imminent, the Indian official said.

"The pipeline is not something that you can agree today and build tomorrow," he said. "There are international issues, security concerns, funding concerns and the dynamics are changing all the time."

"As far as our ties with Iran go, the world should look at our history of being a reasonable country, a country that does not encourage aggression or violence."