India Welcomes Geneva Deal On Iran’s N-issue

New Delhi, Mar 5, IRNA – Welcoming the Geneva deal on Iran’s nuclear issue, India on Tuesday said it clearly indicates rapprochement between Iran and the international community. This was stated by Anil Wadhwa, Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs at 6th IISS-MEA Dialogue on ˈIndia’s extended neighbourhood: Prospects and Challengesˈ at Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi. He said: “The recent developments in the region have vindicated India’s belief that diplomacy and dialogue alone can resolve stubbornly intractable diplomatic crises. We, therefore, promptly welcomed the agreement in Geneva reached on 24 November between Iran and the E3+3. We also welcome the agreement reached on November 11 between Iran and the IAEA, which we regard as the competent technical agency to verify the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities. Looking ahead, we sincerely hope that the interim steps that have been agreed in Geneva would build trust and confidence between Iran and the international community and lead to a durable and long-term settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue”. Referring to Syria conflict Indian official said we have consistently condemned violence by all sides and have supported a broad-based inclusive Syrian-led national reconciliation process. We have backed dialogue and negotiations between the government and the insurgents. “India believes that any external military intervention will adversely impact not just Syria but will have spillover effects on regional peace and stability,” Wadhwa added. India has always maintained and said that it is up to the people of the region to decide the pace and the means to achieve those goals, keeping in mind their traditions and history. This is why the country oppose armed conflict or external intervention as a way of resolving political issues in the region or elsewhere in the world./end