Monday, March 6 2006 14:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Seeking more time for diplomacy to work on the Iran nuclear issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Mar 06 2006) said India remained "hopeful" that mutually acceptable compromise solutions would be found and confrontation avoided at all costs.

Spelling out India's stand ahead of the crucial IAEA meeting, Singh also made it clear that India was not part of any international effort on regime change in the region.

Replying to the debate on India's vote at the IAEA on Iran's nuclear programme in Parliament, he said "we remain hopeful that solutions acceptable to all sides will be found."

Brushing aside Left accusations of bowing to US pressure, he bluntly said "no one can dispute that it is Government's duty to take a position on such matters after a dispassionate examination of facts, keeping in mind our national interests."

He said there can be no two opinions that Government should not take pre-determined positions or positions at the behest of other nations. "Government has precisely done this," he said.

Gurudas Dasgupta, CPI, and Subrata Bose, CPI-M, as also Kharbala Swain, BJP, had contended in Lok Sabha that foreign policy should not be based on the position of other countries but should be guided by national interests.

Responding to clarifications in Rajya Sabha, he said "we are not part of any international effort for any regime change in the region."

He said Government's sincere desire was that the issue should be resolved without any recourse to coercive methods and any sort of confrontation and that diplomacy should be given adequate space.

Meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors

On today's meeting in Vienna of the IAEA Board of Governors, Singh said "it is as yet not clear in what manner this issue will be taken up" by them.

He said the IAEA resolution adopted last month mentioned certain steps that Iran and the international nuclear watchdog would be taking.

The 35-member IAEA Board of Governors had on February 4 adopted a resolution, supported by India, to report the Iran nuclear issue to the UN Security Council but had decided to put off any action till IAEA Chief Mohd. El Baradei submitted his report this month on Iranian compliance of its nuclear safeguards resolution.

"Government's approach will be based on our consistent policy of promoting efforts for a resolution of issues through dialogue and discussions," Singh said.

Noting that there have been discussions between Iran and Russia in the efforts to explore various options, Singh, who spoke to President Vladimir Putin on Saturday night, said "we do not favour confrontation, rhetoric or coercive measures as these only exacerbate tensions in the region and beyond."

He said "India has consistently stated that all sides must work to find mutually acceptable compromise solutions, and that confrontation should be avoided at all costs."

"For this to be possible, time must be given for diplomacy to work," he said.

Singh said "I think there is consensus in Parliament and in our country that confrontation is not in the interests of India or of our region."