India advises Iran to avoid 'confrontation'

During a telephonic conversation with Ahmadinejad who rang up Singh, the Indian prime minister stressed the importance of making "concessions" to help resolve the stand-off between Iran on one hand and the EU and the United States on the other.

Singh's advice was given when the Iranian President raised the issue of his country's nuclear programme in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a statement issued by External Affairs Ministry late Friday night said.

Ahmadinejad's talks with Singh are very significant as India is one of the 35 members of the IAEA board, which would decide whether to refer Iran's resumption of its nuclear programme to the United Nations Security Council for possible punitive measures, including economic sanctions.

This was the first summit-level contact between India and Iran since the change of guard in Tehran after recent elections in Iran.

Russia and China are opposing referral of Iran's nuclear programme to the UNSC saying it would be counter-productive.

The US wants India to support its stand on Iran but New Delhi maintains that Tehran should honour its commitment it has made as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India also favours resolution of the issue through discussions and diplomacy should be given a chance.

Foreign Ministers of India, Russia and China had met in New York last Wednesday and favoured a consensual approach to end the stand-off between Iran and EU and the US.

The Iranian nuclear programme had come up for discussion when Manmohan Singh had met US President George W Bush on September 13 on the sideline of UN General Assembly session in New York.