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Visit by President Ahmadinejad
India snubs US on Iran
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 22
India today snubbed the USA for its state department spokesman’s remarks concerning the proposed visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to New Delhi on April 29.

India bluntly told Washington that neither New Delhi nor Tehran needed any guidance from any foreign power on how to conduct their bilateral relations. The remark by the ministry of external affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna will be like music to the ears of Left leaders who have been building pressure on Manmohan Singh government to go full steam ahead in fostering ties with Iran.

The spokesman said: “Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations as both countries believe that engagement and dialogue alone lead to peace. It is important that the genius of each nation living in a particular region is respected and allowed to flower to meet the expectations of enriching relations with neighbours.”

The spokesman reminded the USA that India and Iran were ancient civilisations whose relations spanned centuries and that “Both nations are perfectly capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention. The situation in the region has always drawn the attention of both the nations and it can be seen perfectly well that these have been managed through continuous dialogue and exchange of delegations at various levels.”