Iran issue should be resolved by dialogue: PM

Havana, Sep 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme should be resolved through dialogue and not through any coercive action.

''If there are any doubts about Iran's nuclear programme, those doubts should be resolved through dialogue, through discussion, rather than coercive action,'' he told journalists accompanying him on a special Air India flight from Brasilia to Havana.

The Prime Minister is here to attend the 14th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, beginning today, at which the Iran issue is expected to figure prominently.

Media reports said NAM officials, at meetings preceding the summit, had finalised a resolution on Iran, in which it called for an ''unconditional resumption of dialogue'' to resolve the tense stand-off.

Dr Singh said he had not seen the draft resolution yet.

''I have stated on a number of occasions that Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Therefore, Iran must have all the rights that go with being a member of the NPT and it must also fulfill all obligations,'' he said.

Asked if he would meet Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the summit, Dr Singh said the schedule of his bilateral meetings was still being drawn up.

''But once we are in the same hall, I think we could have several opportunities to meet,'' he added.

The Iranian President met leaders of the G-15 at a summit here at which he got support from them in the standoff.

The show of solidarity came as Washington called for sanctions against Iran, which has ignored an August 31 deadline by the United Nations to stop enriching uranium.

The NAM summit is expected to adopt a resolution which would stress Iran's right to acquire and use nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes.

President Ahmadinejad told his counterparts that some countries were placing obstacles in the way of progress on the issue -- a reference to the US-led efforts to persuade Iran to stop producing enriched uranium.

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here that his government was prepared to resume the negotiations on the issue without any pre-conditions.

Washington, however, insists that Tehran must first suspend the enrichment and reprocessing activities before talks can be held.

UNI

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