India made clear on Wednesday that it has basic differences of perception with the major Western powers, including the US, over sensitive questions pertaining to Iran and recent developments in the Arab world involving efforts at regime change and the use of force.
Official sources said here days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to address the UN General Assembly on Saturday, and hold a meeting with Iran President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in New York on the sidelines of the UN session a day prior, that Iran is a “factor for stability” in Afghanistan and in the Gulf. In the current Western discourse, Iran’s role is just the opposite.
“India looks forward to working with Iran in the future,” sources said. Iran, in fact, has discussed the Afghanistan question with India in every contact in the past, sources noted.
Answering questions, they sought to underline the bilateral aspect of the India-Iran relationship, saying India sourced a significant percentage of its crude oil imports from Iran, and that made Iran a “partner”. On projected Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, sources said the key issues pertained to security and to pricing.
Killing won’t change India Afghan stand
Speaking assertively in the aftermath of the targeted assassination of Prof. Burnahuddin Rabbani, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council working on the future political roadmap of the country, in Kabul on Tuesday, India on Wednesday sought to dispel any notion that a “drawdown” of India’s engagement with Afghanistan might be at hand.
The drawdown being discussed is that of the US and ISAF (Nato) forces and the process may be speeded up or slowed down, depending on the considerations influencing the countries concerned, well-placed official sources observed dryly.
It was India’s view that Afghanistan be enabled to take charge of its own security, the sources added.
The killing of Prof. Rabbani “doesn’t change our position”, sources said. Referring to Prof. Rabbani kill-ing and in July of Ahmad Wali Karzai, the half-brother of President Hamid Karzai, sources said such individuals were being picked off in the last three or four months who had the ability to impact the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
India to continue oil drilling in s. China sea
India has been drilling for oil off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea since 1988, and has no intention to stop doing so now after a purported recent face-off between an Indian naval vessel and a Chinese military boat instructing the former via radio not to transgress into Chinese territorial waters.
Top government sources here refused to give any credence to the theory of an “incident”, implying a close brush between India and China on the high seas over which China claims exclusive jurisdiction.
“How is it an incident?” sources asked perplexed, responding to a query about the widely reported recent episode.
They said the call came “on an open frequency on the radio” and noted, “We don’t know where it came from”.
Sources said India had been exploring for oil in the South China Sea along with a Vietnamese company and British Petroleum which later sold its shares to a Russian company.
Pak nuke weapons a matter of concern
Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are a matter of worry for India and the reasons pertain more to possible “insider threats” rather than the nukes falling into terrorist hands, a senior official source said on Wednesday in response to questions. The issue is “Who will guard the guardians?” the source noted.
Sources also indicated it was pointless making statements to suggest that India can handle the nuclear threat emanating from Pakistan, for that can be counter-productive and potentially provoke a reaction that “we don’t want”.