Oil imports to figure in talks

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As Iran battles US-led western sanctions for its nuclear programme, Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi arrives in New Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit, an invite in hand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the upcoming NAM summit in Tehran.

India’s declining oil imports from a country which once ranked second among the countries from whom India imports crude is also expected to figure in the discussions Mr Salehi will have with the PM, external affairs minister S.M.Krishna, National Security Adviser (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon and other officials.

It’s a measure of the importance Iran attaches to its ties with India that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has despatched his foreign minister to invite Mr Singh personally for the 16th NAM summit.

Iran takes over the rotating presidency of NAM at the Summit of a grouping that boasts a membership of 120 countries with 17 others nations being observer countries.

Given the pariah-like status that Iran has acquired over its nuclear programme and the US-led western economic sanctions, Tehran will be hoping that the Indian PM will give his acceptance to attend the summit.

And thus reaffirm its support to Iran, a country with whom India continues to maintain close bilateral ties as it walks the diplomatic tight-rope of balancing its relations with the Tehran and Washington.

Asked about it on his way back from Yangon, Myanmar on Tuesday, the PM had remained non-comittal on whether he would attend.

For Iran, the Indian PM's participation in the NAM summit is of crucial importance as it will mean New Delhi's support for a nation that's finding itself increasingly isolated over its nuclear programme.

Equally, it will also give Tehran reason to cock a snook at the US which has been pressurising India to reduce its oil imports from Iran.

While India has cut its oil imports from Iran, it is unwilling to spoil its relations with a nation with whom it has had strong historical ties.