By IANS
New Delhi : In an oblique reference to India’s growing ties with the US fuelled by their nuclear deal, Iran Thursday hoped that New Delhi would maintain an independent foreign policy “as before” and finalise the tri-nation pipeline that also includes Pakistan by 2013.
“Relations between India and Iran are of high importance. The ties between the two countries are deep-rooted and very old,” Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who is currently on a four-day visit to India, told reporters here.
The Iranian minister met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday and discussed with them the entire gamut of bilateral and regional issues, including the Iranian nuclear programme.
Saying that the two countries enjoy good relations and cooperation in cultural, economic and political areas, the Iranian minister stressed that his country hoped that Indian national interests and relations in the region are not “affected by external elements”.
“India would act on the basis of its national interests,” he replied when asked whether he thought India’s vote against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was guided by independent thinking or it was influenced by American pressure.
“It is an internal issue of India. We would like to see India maintains its foreign policy as before,” he said when asked about his views on the India-US nuclear deal.
Iran had criticised India’s vote in the IAEA and even threatened to reduce its energy ties with New Delhi last year but over time it softened its criticism and is trying to court New Delhi to win its backing for Tehran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
India has opposed sanctions on Iran on account of its nuclear programme that is suspected by the West of developing nuclear weapons, but has consistently advocated diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the Iranian nuclear imbroglio.
Tehran has vehemently denied such charges and asserted its right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to which it is a signatory.
New Delhi has, however, asked Tehran to observe its NPT commitments and made it clear that a nuclear weapon Iran is not in its interests.
The Left parties in India have accused the government of compromising its independent foreign policy by voting against Tehran under American pressure – a charge denied by the government.
Pourmohammadi was also optimistic that the two countries would soon be able to resolve the “technical problems” in implementation of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. He was also confident that issues relating to the Iranian LPG deal would be resolved soon.
The minister took pointed digs at the US and accused America of unilateralism in imposing sanctions on Iran. In the same breath, he added that in his discussion the Indian prime minister assured him that India does not approve of American unilteralism.
Pourmohammadi also met Home Minister Shivraj Patil and National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan.