In her meeting with Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Saeed Jalili,
Rao said
"historical commonalities between the two nations require expansion of strategic cooperation between the two countries''.
Besides India, the resolution was endorsed by six world powers -- the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- reflecting a rare measure of unity on Iran. It is the first time since February 2006 that the IAEA board has passed a resolution against that country.
.
The resolution demanded that Iran immediately suspend construction of its newly-revealed uranium enrichment plant at Qom--a site kept secret until recently.
.
The Prime Minister had also made it clear that India would abide any sanctions imposed by the Security Council on Iran, but indicated that he favoured the path of engagement with Iran.
The problem arose in December 2010 when the Reserve Bank of India, under U.S. pressure, decided to no longer use a clearing mechanism to pay Iran for its crude. Washington and its western allies had exhorted India not to use the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) currency swap system to pay Iran. They argued that this mechanism, established at the initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) and in operation since 1974, was disconcertingly opaque.
.
Consequently, it was difficult to ascertain whether the money flowing into Iran's coffers was not used to fortify the country's nuclear programme.
.
Faced with these objections, India, according to the Financial Times, began using the German bank, EIH, for making payments. However, this channel broke down in May 2011, after the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran.
.
Iran is India's core energy partner — its second largest oil supplier( Nearly 12 per cent)
.
Because of the difficulties over payments, Indian companies have accumulated a debt of nearly $5 billion. With the payment row festering, Iran decided to halt supplies to Indian firms for August.
.
On July 31, Iran's Oil Ministry website SHANA reported that the payment row had been settled. India would pay part of the debt “promptly” and the rest would be “gradually settled.”
.
Quite recently, India's induction into the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member appeared to have led Tehran, to consider afresh, the need for reinforcing its ties with New Delhi.
.
India needs Iran to physically access Afghanistan. It can do so from the Iranian port of Chabahar, from where a land corridor extends northwards before entering Afghanistan. For reasons of geography, Iran is central to India's Afghan policy.
Since July, Khamenei has talked about the struggle of Muslims in Kashmir, and this week, asked the "elite" of the Islamic Ummah to protest against "Zionist regimes" that rule the "nation" of Kashmir. However, the Iranian government, called to task by India, has said time and again that their position on Kashmir hasn't changed.
.
Which means that either the Iranian government has been speaking in different voices or there are different centres of power in Iran.
.
Rao said
"historical commonalities between the two nations require expansion of strategic cooperation between the two countries''.
Besides India, the resolution was endorsed by six world powers -- the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- reflecting a rare measure of unity on Iran. It is the first time since February 2006 that the IAEA board has passed a resolution against that country.
.
The resolution demanded that Iran immediately suspend construction of its newly-revealed uranium enrichment plant at Qom--a site kept secret until recently.
.
The Prime Minister had also made it clear that India would abide any sanctions imposed by the Security Council on Iran, but indicated that he favoured the path of engagement with Iran.
The problem arose in December 2010 when the Reserve Bank of India, under U.S. pressure, decided to no longer use a clearing mechanism to pay Iran for its crude. Washington and its western allies had exhorted India not to use the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) currency swap system to pay Iran. They argued that this mechanism, established at the initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) and in operation since 1974, was disconcertingly opaque.
.
Consequently, it was difficult to ascertain whether the money flowing into Iran's coffers was not used to fortify the country's nuclear programme.
.
Faced with these objections, India, according to the Financial Times, began using the German bank, EIH, for making payments. However, this channel broke down in May 2011, after the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran.
.
Iran is India's core energy partner — its second largest oil supplier( Nearly 12 per cent)
.
Because of the difficulties over payments, Indian companies have accumulated a debt of nearly $5 billion. With the payment row festering, Iran decided to halt supplies to Indian firms for August.
.
On July 31, Iran's Oil Ministry website SHANA reported that the payment row had been settled. India would pay part of the debt “promptly” and the rest would be “gradually settled.”
.
Quite recently, India's induction into the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member appeared to have led Tehran, to consider afresh, the need for reinforcing its ties with New Delhi.
.
India needs Iran to physically access Afghanistan. It can do so from the Iranian port of Chabahar, from where a land corridor extends northwards before entering Afghanistan. For reasons of geography, Iran is central to India's Afghan policy.
Since July, Khamenei has talked about the struggle of Muslims in Kashmir, and this week, asked the "elite" of the Islamic Ummah to protest against "Zionist regimes" that rule the "nation" of Kashmir. However, the Iranian government, called to task by India, has said time and again that their position on Kashmir hasn't changed.
.
Which means that either the Iranian government has been speaking in different voices or there are different centres of power in Iran.
.
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