[Marxism] China and India want peaceful resolution of US-Iran conflict

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chinese warships arrive in Spain to conduct joint military exercise
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/6263205.html
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China wants peaceful resolution         
13:32, September 15, 2007

China lauded an action plan reached by Iran and the United Nations
nuclear inspectors on Friday, saying it hoped related parties could
avoid confrontations in dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue.

"China supports the cooperation that Iran is developing with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," State Councilor Tang
Jiaxuan said when meeting with visiting Iranian Interior Minister
Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Tang said China hoped concerned parties would take a
"pragmatic and flexible attitude" to respond to the concerns of the
international community, alleviate the tense situation and avoid
escalation of confrontations.

"China opposes the proliferation of nuclear weapons and advocates a
peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through
negotiations," Tang said.

Pour-Mohammadi, who arrived in Beijing Thursday for a two-day visit
as special envoy of the Iranian government, briefed the Chinese side
about the action plan reached with the IAEA.

He appreciated the positive role China has played in promoting the
peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, saying Iran is
willing to continue its cooperation with the IAEA and resolve the
issue through negotiations.

"We will peacefully conduct nuclear activities legally abiding by a
series of international laws and regulations," Pour-Mohammadi said.

Before meeting with Tang, Pour-Mohammadi held talks with Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechi focused on the bilateral cooperation and the
Iranian nuclear issue.

The Iranian envoy's China trip followed a meeting of the IAEA
governing board in Vienna to discuss a working plan agreed last month
between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog that demands Iran answer
outstanding questions about its nuclear program.

The United States and other Western countries have accused Iran of
trying to develop atomic weapons under a civilian cover, but Iran
denies the accusation, saying it just wants to generate electricity.
A couple of UN Security Council resolutions have been passed to
punish Iran for its defiance on its nuclear issue.

The US State Department said on Wednesday that it was working with
other members of the UN Security Council as well as Germany to pass a
new resolution on Iran with more sanctions.

In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on
Wednesday that while Iran wished to continue cooperating with the
IAEA, "others should not intervene".

The same day, the Islamic Republic's top nuclear negotiator said that
any new UN sanctions against Iran would end their cooperation with
the organization's nuclear watchdog.

Tang Guoqiang, China's permanent representative to the United Nations
and other international organizations in Vienna said on Wednesday
that negotiations are the best way to resolve the dispute over Iran's
nuclear program and China supports efforts to continue the contact
between Iran and the European Union (EU).

Addressing a meeting of the IAEA governing board, Tang said the
current situation regarding the nuclear issue was delicate and could
worsen if not handled properly. Negotiations aimed at resolving the
issue peacefully are the best choice and meet the interests of all
parties concerned, he said.

Source: China Daily
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/6263439.html

India strongly opposes any US military action against Iran
New Delhi, Sept 14, IRNA
http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0709143654120959.htm

Strongly opposing any US military action against Iran, India Friday
said it did not want "another flashpoint" in its neighbourhood and
hoped "good sense" will prevail, preventing the "precipitation" of
the Tehran nuclear issue.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the row over Iran's
nuclear program should be resolved through dialogue and the ongoing
talks between Tehran and the UN atomic watchdog International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) should be allowed to reach the logical
conclusion.

"India is always against any armed intervention by any country in
another country", he said in Bangkok responding to a question about
US threats to launch an attack against Iran, PTI reported here.

"We do firmly believe that Iran has every right to pursue its nuclear
program for peaceful purposes," he said in the interaction after
delivering a lecture on 'India's look east policy: Implications for
Thailand and South East Asia'.

At the same time, Iran, as a signatory of Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), has certain international obligations, he said.

"The talks that are going on between IAEA and Iran should be allowed
to reach the logical conclusion", he said, emphasizing that the issue
ought to be resolved through dialogue.

Noting that the Middle East hosts about five million Indians and is
an important supplier of hydrocarbons to India, Mukherjee said
development of "another flashpoint in our neighbourhood" would be a
worrying factor.

"We can advise, we can suggest," he said, adding "I do hope that good
sense will prevail and there will be no precipitation of the crisis,"
the minister said.

Mukherjee, who arrived Bangkok Thursday on a three-day bilateral
visit, was interacting with diplomats and intellectuals at the
Institute for Security and International Studies of the Chulalongkorn
University.

To a question of Iraq, he said India has already voiced its
opposition to armed intervention in the country and Parliament has
passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of US-led forces from there.


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