Iran seeks Indian support over nuke row

NEW DELHI—Iran’s top nuclear negotiator held talks with Indian leaders on Wednesday to garner support for Tehran’s controversial nuclear program and stave off a threat of sanctions, Indian officials said.
Ali Larijani’s two-day visit to the Indian capital came days ahead of a trip to Tehran by Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh, aimed at building contacts with Iran’s new leadership.
India is facing a delicate balancing act as it tries to maintain a longstanding friendship with Iran while moving closer to Washington, which wants Tehran to halt what it says is a secret nuclear weapons program. India has so far merely said that Iran should abide by its international obligations but has refused to join Western condemnation of its nuclear program.
“We are old friends and we have a lot of experiences to share,” an Indian foreign ministry official told reporters. “Iran needs to strengthen its position on the (nuclear) issue and it is natural that they will turn to old friends first,” said the official, who did not want to be named. The Iranian negotiator held talks with Singh and Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan.
Larijani’s visit comes after negotiations between Iran and the European Union over resolving the nuclear row broke down this month when Tehran rejected an offer of incentives in return for a suspension of sensitive nuclear work.—Agencies