India has voted along with the US, China and other major powers in favour of a German-sponsored resolution at the IAEA on referring the Iran nuclear programme yet again to the UN Security Council.

However, it clarified in its explanation of vote that this decision “cannot be the basis of a renewed punitive approach or new sanctions.”

Three countries — Venezuela, Malaysia and Cuba — voted against the resolution and six abstained: Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Brazil, South Africa and Turkey.

India abstained from another resolution moved by Russia to create an international nuclear fuel bank on its territory so that there is assurance of fuel supply as a safety measure for all member countries.

While India has always supported the idea, sources said, it had problems with the resolution because it makes a reference to this facility being accessible to non-nuclear weapon states.

India has always maintained such a distinction is only made by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and cannot be applied to the IAEA, where no such categorization exists. Despite the Indian abstention, the resolution won the requisite vote and has been passed.

Given that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Moscow in the first week of December, the issue of India having access to any such fuel bank could be discussed.

On the Iran vote, India took the stand that the IAEA Director General’s latest report makes it difficult to overlook Tehran’s non-compliance with the subsidiary safeguards arrangements. “The Agency’s safeguards system is the bedrock of the international community’s confidence that peaceful uses of nuclear energy and non-proliferation objectives can be pursued in a balanced manner. The integrity of this system should be preserved,” stated India in its explanation of vote.

... contd.