Iranian president to visit India, amid US concern

Updated April 28, 2008 18:44:56

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's one-day visit to India has met US criticism. [AFP]

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday for a one-day working visit.

The brief stay will be dominated by talks on two multi-billion-dollar energy deals, even as the United States urged New Delhi to persuade Iran to curtail its nuclear programme.

Energy issues will top the agenda during the visit, with nuclear-armed India, hungry to tap new sources of energy to fuel its booming economy, is looking to Iran as a long-term energy partner.

Dr K Santhanam, a nuclear scientist and former director of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program, that both nations are capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention.

"I think the primary or dominating in all international affairs has to be national interest," he said.

"To the extent that our national interest will be served, will be strengthened by a vibrant and mutually beneficial relationship with Iran, I do not think that the policy of the Indian government is likely to change just because some other countries don't like Iran or Iran's policy."

New Delhi has been in talks with Iran, which has the world's second largest known gas reserves after Russia, on a 2,600-kilometre (1,615-mile) pipeline via Pakistan.

Talks on the $7 billion-dollar pipeline began in 1994 but have also been delayed by tensions between India and Pakistan.

Washington has opposed the pipeline, which its fears will fund Iran's nuclear ambitions and has urged India to use Mr Ahmadinejad's visit to encourage Iran to stop nuclear enrichment.

India responded by saying that it did not need "any guidance" on conducting its bilateral relations.

Strategic expert Commodore Uday Bhaskar says India is taking the right step in engaging with Teheran.

"I personally see this as a prudent diplomatic contact," he said.

"The fact that the United States has found it fit to make its own views public on how it thinks India should engage...I thought was perhaps crossing certain protocols in terms of how countries relate to each other on sensitive issues."