NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday assured parliament that India was against confrontation over Iran and backed a "mutually acceptable compromise formula" for the resolution of the issue through diplomacy.
Hours before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meets in Vienna to decide on reporting Iran to the UN Security Council, "We remain hopeful that a solution acceptable to all sides will be found," Singh told parliament.
"Confrontation must be avoided at all costs. It is not in the interest of India or the stability of the entire region," Singh underlined.
India has been supporting a Russia-backed proposal for a joint venture between Moscow and Tehran for enrichment of uranium. Manmohan Singh spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday night and discussed steps to resolve the issue through diplomacy and consultations.
In the same breath, Singh underscored that India’s stance on the Iranian nuclear issue did not detract from India’s commitment "to deepen, widen and expand its relationship with Iran."
He was trying to allay concerns expressed by various political parties - with the Left parties leading the charge - that India’s vote for the IAEA resolution last month was done allegedly under American pressure. The issue was discussed between Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush last week.
Repeating India’s position which he enunciated in his suo motu statement in parliament last month, Manmohan Singh said India’s decision was based on "a dispassionate examination of the facts" and genuine concerns about the threat to national security due to clandestine proliferation - a veiled reference to Pakistan’s A.Q. Khan nuclear underground network that allegedly helped the Iranian nuclear programme.
Singh stressed that several "unresolved questions" remained about the Iranian nuclear programme and asked Tehran to resume its voluntary suspension of its uranium enrichment facilities. "The origin of such procurement is an issue of direct concern to us," he said.
He told parliament that while it was "unclear" about the manner in which the IAEA board will take the issue at its meeting Monday, India’s position will be determined by its national interest and will take into account sentiments expressed in the house.
Explaining India’s vote against Iran at the IAEA in parliament last month, Singh had said that New Delhi’s position on this sensitive issue sought to balance bilateral ties with security implications of proliferation in the region.
"India cannot afford to turn a blind eye to security implications of such proliferation activities," he had told parliament. | 
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