Iran must avoid going down the nuclear weapon path: Manmohan Singh

Washington, Nov.24 (ANI): Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that Iran must not go down the nuclear weapons path, and added that New Delhi has unambiguously and consistently said that it does not support such a step.

Interacting with noted diplomat and president of the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) during a question and answer session that followed a speech to the august gathering, Dr. Singh said: "As far as Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions are concerned, I have unambiguously said that I don't support it. Iran is a signatory to the NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty), and has a right to peaceful use of nuclear energy."

However, be this as it may, Tehran also needed to understand that it has to meet its obligations under the same treaty, IAEA and UNSC guidelines on nuclear use, he added.

"If the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) passes a resolution, India has abided with it. Our hope is that whatever steps the United States and other countries take vis-à-vis Iran, it will yield results," Dr. Singh told Haas during the interaction.

He also recalled meeting with an Iranian academic who had once been a student of his, and he had told him (Dr. Singh) that Iran is encouraged by the messages coming out of the Obama administration. By Smita Prakash (ANI)