Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI6085
2006-08-31 12:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
IRANIAN DFM SAFARI FINDS LITTLE LOVE IN NEW DELHI
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KNNP ENRG EPET KISL IR IN
SUBJECT: IRANIAN DFM SAFARI FINDS LITTLE LOVE IN NEW DELHI
DURING LOW-KEY VISIT
NEW DELHI 00006085 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: DCM Geoffrey Pyatt, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KNNP ENRG EPET KISL IR IN
SUBJECT: IRANIAN DFM SAFARI FINDS LITTLE LOVE IN NEW DELHI
DURING LOW-KEY VISIT
NEW DELHI 00006085 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: DCM Geoffrey Pyatt, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1.(C) SUMMARY: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mehdi
Safari visited New Delhi Aug. 30 to discuss the nuclear issue
and energy cooperation with India. While he was here, the
GOI reiterated its view that Iran should respect its NPT
obligations. No progress on the pipeline emanated from the
visit. In addition, EU contacts tell us that they have been
told MEA Additional Secretary Singh flatly told Safari that
the Iranian reply to the P6 had not been satisfactory. The
Indians are clearly balancing a domestic political need to be
seen to be talking to Teheran and a compelling need to keep
the Senate happy prior to the expected September vote on the
nuclear deal. END SUMMARY.
2.(C) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mehdi Safari
arrived in New Delhi Aug. 30 for a one day visit with GOI
officials to ask for Indian support in negotiations with the
P6 on the nuclear issue and to discuss the
Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. Dr. Safari
reportedly emphasized that Iran is open to negotiations and
is willing to cooperate fully with the IAEA, but will insist
on its rights under the NPT, and will try to have the issue
revert to the IAEA from the UNSC. According to an MEA press
release, MEA Secretary Rajiv Sikri told him that India does
not want "confrontation and destabilization" in the region.
He said that India believes that, as a signatory to the NPT,
Iran must honor its obligations.
3.(C) Regarding the energy sector, Sikri emphasized the
importance of Iran honoring the LNG deal signed in June 2005.
According to the MEA press release, both sides reaffirmed
their commitment to the gas pipeline project, but gave no
additional details. COMMENT: Iran's failure to respect the
LNG contract price has resulted in bad blood with Delhi and
slowed talks on the pipeline. END COMMENT.
4.(C) In a courtesy call on Aug. 30, MEA Joint Secretary for
Disarmament Hamid Ali Rao, Charge and PolCouns discussed
Iran's response to the June 2006 proposal. Charge stated
that if Iran walks away from the EU-3 proposal, it will be
clear that they have no interest in cooperation or in
upholding their NPT obligations and pointed out that Iran is
sending ambivalent signals. Rao argued that dialogue and
negotiation must continue with Iran. (Note: Other topics of
the meeting are being reported SEPTEL. End note.)
5.(C) British A/PolCouns confirmed that MEA Additional
Secretary KC Singh was unexpectedly firm on Iran when he
SIPDIS
received an August 29 EU-3 demarche. Singh agreed with the
UK High Commissioner, the French DCM, and the German PolCouns
that the Iranian reply had not been satisfactory. The
British told us that Singh was "more robust" than they had
expected, and advised the EU3 to come up with an "equally
long and obscure answer" that leaves the door to dialogue
propped open. An abrupt answer, counseled Singh, would play
into Ahmedinejad's hands. The EU3 took the point, but
countered that action could not be postponed indefinitely.
Singh relayed to the EU3 that when Iranian DFM Safari
visited, Safari had offered "lame" explanations such as
saying that the opening of the Arak reactor had been
"accidental," and ignored the point about IAEA inspections
entirely. The Brits commented that KC Singh seemed less
NEW DELHI 00006085 002.2 OF 002
patient with the Iranians than he had been in the past, and
that India had seemingly been more harsh with Safari in
private than its public statements would indicate. The
Indians are clearly, said the Brits, trying their best to
walk the fine line between their own Left coalition partners'
unquenched love for Tehran and their own desire to ensure
that the Senate passes the U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy
bill. KC Singh, they added, said crunch time in walking this
fine line would come at the upcoming NAM summit, where India
could not "control" what the NAM says, but could only
influence it. India was painfully mindful of the fact that
the Senate might act on the nuclear legislation in
mid-September, just as the NAM gets underway.
6.(C) Charge spoke with the French DCM who confirmed the
British version of the meeting with Singh, noting that the
GOI was surprised at the firmness of the GOF's position on
Iran.
7.(C) COMMENT: While the GOI is willing to say the bare
minimum in public on Iran in order to ensure passage of the
U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy bill without offending the
Congress's essential Muslim vote bank or their partners on
the left, the government was tougher with Safari in private.
Moreover, India has said again and again that a nuclear Iran
is not in its interest. The U.S.-India nuclear deal, the
Iranian bomb, and the bad faith in gas contracts have helped
drive more of a wedge between Delhi and Tehran. END COMMENT.
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KNNP ENRG EPET KISL IR IN
SUBJECT: IRANIAN DFM SAFARI FINDS LITTLE LOVE IN NEW DELHI
DURING LOW-KEY VISIT
NEW DELHI 00006085 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: DCM Geoffrey Pyatt, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1.(C) SUMMARY: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mehdi
Safari visited New Delhi Aug. 30 to discuss the nuclear issue
and energy cooperation with India. While he was here, the
GOI reiterated its view that Iran should respect its NPT
obligations. No progress on the pipeline emanated from the
visit. In addition, EU contacts tell us that they have been
told MEA Additional Secretary Singh flatly told Safari that
the Iranian reply to the P6 had not been satisfactory. The
Indians are clearly balancing a domestic political need to be
seen to be talking to Teheran and a compelling need to keep
the Senate happy prior to the expected September vote on the
nuclear deal. END SUMMARY.
2.(C) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mehdi Safari
arrived in New Delhi Aug. 30 for a one day visit with GOI
officials to ask for Indian support in negotiations with the
P6 on the nuclear issue and to discuss the
Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. Dr. Safari
reportedly emphasized that Iran is open to negotiations and
is willing to cooperate fully with the IAEA, but will insist
on its rights under the NPT, and will try to have the issue
revert to the IAEA from the UNSC. According to an MEA press
release, MEA Secretary Rajiv Sikri told him that India does
not want "confrontation and destabilization" in the region.
He said that India believes that, as a signatory to the NPT,
Iran must honor its obligations.
3.(C) Regarding the energy sector, Sikri emphasized the
importance of Iran honoring the LNG deal signed in June 2005.
According to the MEA press release, both sides reaffirmed
their commitment to the gas pipeline project, but gave no
additional details. COMMENT: Iran's failure to respect the
LNG contract price has resulted in bad blood with Delhi and
slowed talks on the pipeline. END COMMENT.
4.(C) In a courtesy call on Aug. 30, MEA Joint Secretary for
Disarmament Hamid Ali Rao, Charge and PolCouns discussed
Iran's response to the June 2006 proposal. Charge stated
that if Iran walks away from the EU-3 proposal, it will be
clear that they have no interest in cooperation or in
upholding their NPT obligations and pointed out that Iran is
sending ambivalent signals. Rao argued that dialogue and
negotiation must continue with Iran. (Note: Other topics of
the meeting are being reported SEPTEL. End note.)
5.(C) British A/PolCouns confirmed that MEA Additional
Secretary KC Singh was unexpectedly firm on Iran when he
SIPDIS
received an August 29 EU-3 demarche. Singh agreed with the
UK High Commissioner, the French DCM, and the German PolCouns
that the Iranian reply had not been satisfactory. The
British told us that Singh was "more robust" than they had
expected, and advised the EU3 to come up with an "equally
long and obscure answer" that leaves the door to dialogue
propped open. An abrupt answer, counseled Singh, would play
into Ahmedinejad's hands. The EU3 took the point, but
countered that action could not be postponed indefinitely.
Singh relayed to the EU3 that when Iranian DFM Safari
visited, Safari had offered "lame" explanations such as
saying that the opening of the Arak reactor had been
"accidental," and ignored the point about IAEA inspections
entirely. The Brits commented that KC Singh seemed less
NEW DELHI 00006085 002.2 OF 002
patient with the Iranians than he had been in the past, and
that India had seemingly been more harsh with Safari in
private than its public statements would indicate. The
Indians are clearly, said the Brits, trying their best to
walk the fine line between their own Left coalition partners'
unquenched love for Tehran and their own desire to ensure
that the Senate passes the U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy
bill. KC Singh, they added, said crunch time in walking this
fine line would come at the upcoming NAM summit, where India
could not "control" what the NAM says, but could only
influence it. India was painfully mindful of the fact that
the Senate might act on the nuclear legislation in
mid-September, just as the NAM gets underway.
6.(C) Charge spoke with the French DCM who confirmed the
British version of the meeting with Singh, noting that the
GOI was surprised at the firmness of the GOF's position on
Iran.
7.(C) COMMENT: While the GOI is willing to say the bare
minimum in public on Iran in order to ensure passage of the
U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy bill without offending the
Congress's essential Muslim vote bank or their partners on
the left, the government was tougher with Safari in private.
Moreover, India has said again and again that a nuclear Iran
is not in its interest. The U.S.-India nuclear deal, the
Iranian bomb, and the bad faith in gas contracts have helped
drive more of a wedge between Delhi and Tehran. END COMMENT.
MULFORD