Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday revealed that he had told United States President Barack Obama that India does not favour Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions but sanctions were not an answer as poor people get more affected by them.
"I said to the President that we do not favour Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions," Dr Singh told a press conference in Washington, when asked about the discussions on Iran that he had with Obama two days ago.
Dr Singh said he had told Obama that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is entitled to all the rights which the members, who have signed the NPT, have on peaceful uses of atomic energy.
"As far as issue of sanctions is concerned, I said to him, we do not think sanctions really achieve their objectives. Very often, the poor in the affected country suffer more and as far as the ruling establishments are concerned, they are not affected by these sanctions in any meaningful way. Beyond that there was no other discussion," he said.
His comments came amid moves by the US to garner the support of powerful nations, including India, to impose the fourth round of United Nations' sanctions on Iran.
Asked whether he would be traveling to Tehran to attend a conference organised by Iran next week, Dr Singh said he had no such plans.
"I can't travel at short notice, I have commitments in India," he said, but added that India would be represented at that conference.
Dr Singh also said that India and China were working very hard to find a 'practical and pragmatic' solution to the boundary question and its resolution would take time.
"Well, we have the border problem and that problem has to be resolved. We are working very hard to find a practical, pragmatic solution to that problem," he said.
Noting that both countries "recognise that it would take time", he said the two countries have agreed that pending the resolution of the border issues, peace and tranquility should be maintained along the Line of Actual Control.
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