Iran hopes President Obama can deliver on his promises’, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Iran hopes President Obama can deliver on his promises’

By Siddharth Varadarajan

MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI: `We believe that with the continuation of the diplomacy going on now, it is possible to reach an agreement and compromise.' Photo: V.V. Krishnan

The Hindu MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI: `We believe that with the continuation of the diplomacy going on now, it is possible to reach an agreement and compromise.' Photo: V.V. Krishnan

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu during a two-day visit to Delhi, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki talks about the latest western proposal on the nuclear issue, the reasons behind the recent disclosure of a new enrichment facility at Fardoo and the current state of Indo-Iranian relations. Excerpts.

Iran has yet to respond to the proposal of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany (the P5+1) for fuelling the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). The proposal, which involves Iran shipping out some of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) in return for 20 per cent enriched uranium, seems good for both sides. It shows the P5+1 is dropping its insistence on Iran suspending all enrichment, and also allows Tehran to build confidence with the U.S. and its allies. What will Iran’s stand be?

In order to provide fuel for the TRR, there are three options in front of us. The first is producing the fuel ourselves, i.e. enriching LEU up to 20 per cent; second, purchasing the fuel from other countries as in the past; or third, considering the proposal which has been made by the other side. And we have taken this proposal into consideration and provided an initial response - that we are ready to discuss that option. We have some technical and economical observations here but in principle, this option could be taken into consideration and put on the agenda. We believe that with the continuation of the diplomacy going on now, it is possible to reach an agreement and compromise. Complementary suggestions and proposals are being sent and received by both sides, and by [International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohammed] ElBaradei.

http://newageislam.com/iran-hopes-president-obama-can-deliver-on-his-promises/islam-and-the-west/d/2220

Manmohan ready to move on ‘humanitarian’ talks agenda, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

Manmohan ready to move on ‘humanitarian’ talks agenda

By Siddharth Varadarajan

Oct 28, 2009

‘Sharm el-Shaken’ but not stirred, Prime Minister makes fresh pitch for peace with Pakistan.

LATEST PEACE OVERTURES: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a public platform in Kashmir Valley with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

In signalling his government’s readiness to discuss initiatives to strengthen people-to-people interaction across the Line of Control, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may just have hit upon a magic formula that could potentially advance the peace process with Pakistan and make life easier for the beleaguered people of Jammu and Kashmir. Without diluting New Delhi’s key demand that Islamabad act to eliminate the threat that Pakistan-based terrorist groups pose to India.

Carefully structured speech

It has taken Dr. Singh three months to put the ghost of the Sharm el-Sheikh controversy behind him and he did so in a way that political India could best understand: his latest peace overture was made from a public platform in the Valley with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, on the dais beside him.

Considerable care seems to have gone in to the structure of the Prime Minister’s speech. He first noted the advances that were made bilaterally on all issues, including on a permanent resolution of Kashmir, between 2004 and 2007. This was a time when militancy and violence began to decline. Trade with Pakistan went up three times but, more importantly for Kashmir, trade between the two sides of the divided state began. Since then, however, terrorist activities increased, eventually bringing a halt to this process of constructive engagement.

http://newageislam.com/manmohan-ready-to-move-on-%E2%80%98humanitarian%E2%80%99-talks-agenda/current-affairs/d/2017

Delaying dialogue with Pakistan will not suit India, Interfaith Dialogue, NewAgeIslam.com

Interfaith Dialogue

Delaying dialogue with Pakistan will not suit India

Missing the wood for the trees

By Siddharth Varadarajan

Posted July 29, 2009

When Manmohan Singh explains his government’s policy towards Pakistan to Parliament on Wednesday, the worst thing he can do is to disown, downplay, retract or resile from the joint statement he issued with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Sharm-el-Sheikh on July 17.

So irrational and poisonous has the Indian debate on the joint statement become that the government is today under enormous psychological pressure to declare Sharm-el-Sheikh a mistake. The Congress party is tongue-tied and a junior Minister for External Affairs unwisely sought refuge in the irrelevant plea that the text the Prime Minister had agreed to is not a legal document. The implication is clear: Sharm-el-Sheikh may be a sell-out, but the sale deed is not legally binding so don’t worry.

What the opposition’s noise and government’s poor salesmanship have done is reinforce the idea that the current Indian policy of not talking to Pakistan — in place since the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008 — is working fine and that there is no need for any change or adjustment. This is unfortunate. For, in the run up to Sharm-el-Sheikh, Dr. Singh was bold enough to recognise the policy had already yielded the most it could. And that it was time to prepare the ground for change.

http://newageislam.com/delaying-dialogue-with-pakistan-will-not-suit-india/interfaith-dialogue/d/1605