Though pressure from Left allies on the government eased with Russia and China opting to refer Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council, the government chose not to divulge which way it would vote, should the need arise, at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday.
While it maintained it would decide on how to vote depending on the way the draft resolution was worded, it was clear India would vote “according to its national interest”, with the international consensus, against Iran pursuing enrichment of uranium.
At an hour-long meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI Secretary D. Raja that a resolution was being drafted at the IAEA. The government would study the resolution and take its stand.
Officially, India was keeping its options open with regard to Iran's nuclear issue, while Russia and China, Tehran's two major backers, agreed to a US and European Union 3 proposal to refer Iran's case to the UNSC. “The draft resolution is still being worked out. We will base our decision on the wording,” an official said.
The decision by the P-5 "considerably dilutes" the significance of the February 2 'extraordinary' meeting of the IAEA's board of governors at Vienna and there may not even be a vote, officials said.
The decision by the P-5 "considerably dilutes" the significance of the February 2 'extraordinary' meeting of the IAEA's board of governors at Vienna and there may not even be a vote, officials said.