Consortium of Indian Defence Websites
https://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/
, cause it looks like some have misunderstood... 
Full poem
aluguTayE yerungani mahA mahitAtmu Dajaata SatruDE
aligina nADu sAgaramu lanniyu nEkamu gAka pOvu ka-
rNulu padi vEvu raina nani notturu chatturu rAja rAja nA
palukula viSwaSimpumu vipannula lOkula gAvu mellaran
Sri Krishna in Hastinapura Rayabaram
When the benevolent Dharmaraja gets upset, all oceans will become one and your Karnas, ten thousand of them will come and die. My dear Duryodhana beleive me, we are not fools here...
New Delhi is to host 16th Iran-India joint economic commission meeting on July 8-9.
The meeting is to address different aspects of bilateral economic cooperation including railway, gas and power.
Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna is leading the Indian side and Iranian Minister of Economy and Finance chairing the Iranian one, Tehran ambassador to New Delhi Mehdi Nabizadeh told ISNA.
Iran-India trade exchanges totaled 14 billion dollars over first half of 2010 showing 1.5 billion dollar rise comparing to last year.
End Item
India wants to speed up its development of the Chahbahar port, and will push the Iranian government this week to put its facilitation on fast track.
Shamsuddin Husseini, the Iranian economic and finance minister, will lead a delegation of mainly economic and energy department officials for the India-Iran joint commission, which takes place here ON July 8-9. The Indian side will be led by foreign minister S M Krishna. The Iranian visit comes days after the US signed a tough set of sanctions against Tehran, which followed UN sanctions and a more difficut set of sanctions from the EU.
Although the Chahbahar port has been an Indian project for some time, the Iranian side has been notoriously lax in keeping to its end of the bargain.
The port is strategically important -- serving as the entry point for India's outreach into Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. For this purpose, India also spent a lot of money and human lives to build the Zaranj-Delaram road in Afghanistan's Nimroz province, which was intended to link up with the Chahbahar port. But establishing those linkages turned out to be more difficult than India imagined. The political situation in Iran over the past year has scarcely helped.
The importance of Chahbahar is heightened with signs that Pakistan may work out some sort of power-sharing arrangement between Kabul and the Taliban that could ensure a US exit. It's a prospect that everybody in the region is working actively towards despite US protestations that it wasn't prepared to leave Afghanistan that soon.
It means that Iran and India once again have to work together on Afghanistan, if they want to limit or act as a check on Taliban-Pakistan power. In the past few years, Iran has reportedly developed some links with the Taliban, particularly as it battles a growing drug problem imported from Afghanistan. But a radical Sunni government in Kabul is not among Iran's favourite options.
In a future arrangement, Iran will definitely exercise its influence in western Afghanistan, influence that it has carefully nurtured in the past few years, as has India in a variety of other spheres.
But if India is to maintain a toehold in Afghanistan, Chahbahar becomes very important. Of course, Chahbahar would be equally important to the US logistics supply chain, if the US and Iran could manage to work out some kind of a relationship, because it would give the US a breather from the Pakistani stranglehold of its supplies into Afghanistan. As a senior official observed ruefully, "Its actually in India's interest to get US and Iran talking to each other."
Recent estimates say the Iranian system is becoming more militarised, with the Revolutionary Guards becoming ever more powerful. Its unclear what they think of these strategic moves.
The joint commission will also discuss other areas of cooperation between India and Iran, particularly in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals and mining.
Though the Iran gas pipeline may not happen anytime soon, and India will probably be one of the first countries to enforce UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, evolving geopolitics ensure a close relationship between the two countries.
-------------------She reiterated the need for structured, systematic and regular consultations with Iran on Afghanistan situation.
In this context, she also underlined the importance of building upon the progress already made on joint cooperation projects between India and Iran in the region, and put in place mechanisms for carrying forward the cooperation in these
areas, including the Chabahar Port Project.
She emphasised on the need for accelerating the joint efforts to fully realise the potential of the port as well as the associated railway project.
"These are projects that are in the common interest of India, Iran and Afghanistan, but also the countries of Central Asia. Improving the connectivity of Chabahar Port to the Zaranj-Delaram Highway, which was built with Indian assistance despite terrorist threats and with the sacrifice of Indian and Afghan lives, will open up the Indian market to Afghan agricultural and other exports.
"It will also help in combating the scourge of illicit drugs production and export which has affected Iran more than any other country, and assist the trade, transport and transit network of Iran," the Foreign secretary said.
Referring to the upcoming bilateral Joint Commission meeting between the two countries here on July 8-9, Rao said India looks forward to these discussions and the follow up meetings to instill fresh momentum in relations, particularly in the strategic areas that have been identified above.
External affairs minister SM Krishna and Iranian minister for economic affairs and finance Shamsuddin Husseini will lead India and Iran delegations respectively in the meeting.
) India on Monday said it supports the right of any country, including Iran, to pursue peaceful nuclear programme for use as energy and criticized sanctions on the Islamic nation that also hurts India.
Speaking at a seminar here on the strategic dialogue between India and Iran, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said: “I would like to briefly touch on the Iran nuclear issue. India’s position on the issue has been consistent. We support the right of all States to undertake peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with their international obligations.”
“We have conveyed to our interlocutors that all concerned should adopt a flexible approach to achieve a comprehensive solution to all issues. India has always supported dialogue and avoidance of confrontation,” she said at the “IDSA-IPIS Strategic Dialogue on India and Iran: An Enduring Relationship”.
Rao said the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA (the global nuclear watchdog) continues to provide the best framework for addressing technical issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme.
“We are justifiably concerned that the extra-territorial nature of certain unilateral sanctions recently imposed by individual countries, with their restrictions on investment by third countries in Iran’s energy sector, can have a direct and adverse impact on Indian companies and more importantly, on our energy security and our attempts to meet the development needs of our people,” she said without naming USA.
Rao said Iran is a country extremely important to India from the perspective of energy security.
“There is a natural complementarity between the needs of energy-hungry India which hopes to grow at a rate of 8-10% in the coming years and Iran which is home to third largest proven oil reserves and second largest gas reserves,” she said.
“Iran is not only located relatively close to India permitting transportation of oil and gas at relatively low cost over sea as well as land, it also has the potential of being a transit country for supply of third country energy to India given its increasing links in this field with the landlocked countries of Central Asia,” she said.
pgbhat wrote:India sends mixed signals on Iran ---- Peter J Brown
http://swaminomics.org/?p=1832Shale gas, not Iran pipeline, our energy hope
External affairs minister S M Krishna visited Tehran in mid-May and said India was still interested in the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, but expressed reservations on security grounds. However, there is now a more important economic reason to oppose the pipeline.....
The US has pioneered shale gas technology. This has created a glut, sending gas prices plummeting from $13/mmbtu (million British thermal units) four years ago to just $4/mmbtu today, even as the price of oil has more than doubled. By contrast, the IPI formula links the gas price to oil prices. This implies that India will have to pay $10/mmbtu at today’s oil price of $70/barrel, and a whopping $20/mmbtu for gas if oil returns to its 2008 peak of $150/barrel. India cannot possibly accept such a price formula when shale gas technology has sent prices plummeting....
It must insist that the Gulf countries abandon the old price link between gas and oil, and accept the new low prices established at trading hubs like Henry Hub in Louisiana. Iran, Qatar and other Gulf countries are aghast at the emergence of shale gas as a rival, and want to stick to the gas-oil price link. India must refuse to do any gas deals with them until they drop the link....
India has huge shale deposits spread across the Gangetic plain, Assam, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and southern coastal areas. All these are potentially gas bearing.
For decades India has kowtowed to Gulf countries, notably Iran. It can now afford to act much tougher. Iran supported Pakistan in Indo-Pak wars, and blasted India for Pokharan-II , and demanded that India sign the NPT. Iran nationalised the Rostam and Raksh oilfields in which the ONGC had a stake. It reneged on a contract to supply cheap LNG top India after Ahmedinejad came to power. Despite this India has been deferential to this potentially powerful energy supplier.
That must now change. India must tell all Gulf producers that it will pay gas prices linked not to oil but to the Henry Hub price. The best starting point is not Iran but Qatar, which has just completed a gigantic expansion to become the world’s largest LNG supplier. This is now in surplus. Qatar wants $10/ mmbtu. India must offer just $4. Once Qatar gives way, so will other LNG exporters, including Australia.
Both women are not bad.
Firstly, the fact that India is sending a banking delegation to Iran - which is facing the tightest crunch at the moment, being sanctioned elsewhere including Dubai and the Middle East, is a sign that India is SUPPORTING Tehran where it matters.India and Iran are close to firming up a bilateral investment protection treaty to boost investments and trade between the two countries, visiting Iranian ministers said.
Shamsuddin Huseini, Iran’s minister of economic affairs and finance, who is in New Delhi leading a 30-member business delegation, said he would be finalizing the treaty with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. He also said he expects trade between India and Iran, about $15 billion (Rs70,350 crore) now, to double over the next five years.
The bilateral pact is “almost finalised,” said a finance ministry official. The two sides also discussed the avoidance of double taxation, the official said, requesting anonymity.
India will be sending a banking delegation to explore investment and business opportunities in Iran, he added.
Huseini was speaking at a seminar organized by industry lobby group Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) in the capital on Thursday.
He is here for a meeting of the India-Iran joint commission—a panel that explores ways to boost economic ties between the two countries.
The meeting comes after a gap of 16 months and is being seen as an effort by India to court the energy-rich Islamic republic with whom New Delhi has shared uneasy ties recently, after it voted to censure Iran on its nuclear programme at least twice at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The bilateral treaty will provide comprehensive support to the business between the two countries,” said Behrouz Alishiri, deputy minister of economic affairs and finance, Iran. “It is in final stage. Some formalities are to be completed by the Indian side. We have already received the official letter.”
Iran’s facing a fresh set of international economic sanctions for refusing to end its nuclear programme.
Ironically, India, which is heavily dependent on energy imports, this week criticised the “extra-territorial nature” of the censures—without naming the US—saying the sanctions would “have a direct and adverse impact on Indian companies” and on India’s energy security.
In a related development, Indian government officials have hinted that the $7.4 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline project is back in focus. Iran and Pakistan had decided to go ahead with the project without India, and have even extended a partnership offer to China.
Senior officials at India’s ministry of external affairs say the pipeline project was never abandoned; experts say India’s clinching of the civilian nuclear agreement with the US had slowed the process.
Huseini did not respond to questions posed by Mint on the pipeline project. Sanjay Singh, India’s ambassador to Iran, only said, “One should wait and watch. The statement made by Indian foreign secretary was a significant one.”
Earlier this week, India’s foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had said it was natural to have differences but it was also vital that the two nations keep “the larger picture of our relations in mind, in particular the strategic potential of our ties.”
“There is a change. There are a host of other projects apart from IPI that Indian firms want to participate along with Iran. However, IPI was never out for us,” said a India petroleum ministry official, asking not to be identified.
Huseini invited Indian firms to invest in infrastructure, oil, gas, petrochemicals, mining, automobiles, transport, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and agriculture in Iran. He also promised to facilitate access for Indian firms to trade with landlocked Central Asia—Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia—besides Russia.
First Published : 09 Jul 2010 12:10:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 09 Jul 2010 01:39:06 AM IST
Having a sweet tooth, that too for chocolates, has its own diplomatic flavour. This reality struck this scribe who ventured out in Tehran to indulge in a little window shopping and also hunt for chocolates made in Iran. Of course, Iran is known for saffron and carpets, but considering the speed with which imported chocolates, particularly Swiss, have entered the world market I was keen to learn whether they have pushed out Persian chocolates or not.
‘Hind’ warmth
Common usage of certain words brought me close to yet another reality. Iran is not as cut out from rest of the world as is made out to be. Shopping centres are called malls and there was no confusion anywhere, when I used words like ‘chocolates, scarves’. Old, traditional markets are addressed as bazaars (a Persian/Urdu/Hindi word). Before entering a mall, which seemed similar to the ones that have come up in Indian cities, I asked an Iranian lady, “English samajh?” She replied, “Yes.” Suddenly, shopping for chocolates became easier than anticipated. I asked her to guide me to a shop where chocolates made in Iran would be available. She and her family took me to several shops. Before moving on, they asked about my nationality. When I said, “Indian,” as they looked a dazed, I said: “Hind.” ‘Hind’ brought such warm and friendly smiles to their faces. Apprehensions held about Iranians having a ‘snooty’, ‘stiff, upper lip’ towards Indians simply vanished.
‘India...India’
India appears to carry a special meaning for top-level leaders too, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Khomeini (grandson of Imam Khomeini), whom I met on two different occasions. “India…India!” Saying this, the president gave an emphatic nod and Hassan a big smile, when I introduced myself as an Indian journalist.
Isolated Iran myth
Inside the shop, I asked for chocolates, made in Iran. I was pleasantly stunned to be shown more than several dozen varieties. Window shopping revealed that Iran is not as economically isolated as it is made out to be by US-controlled media. One came across cashewnuts from India, scarves from Italy and Turkey, shirts from France and a lot more, which can be regarded only as an extremely minor indicator of economic ties Iran entertains with other countries. This also explained why Iran doesn’t seem to care much about sanctions imposed by the US against its nuclear policy.
The role model
While a lot has been written on the anti-Israel stand of Iranian leaders, virtually little attention has been paid to similar views held by non-Muslims from the West. A Christian woman from UK, Michele Renouf, had no qualms about openly stating that the West should look up to Iran’s revolutionary leader Imam Khomeini as a ‘role model’. Sharing her views, in a flight from Tehran to Mashhad, she described Iranians as ‘people with a spine’. A strong critic of Israel and supporter of the Palestinian cause, she said, “It is our duty to go back to our countries and give emphasis to international justice. We need to embolden our role.” Though I listened to her views with attention, for a while I did wonder about her being serious. Two small incidents in Mashhad, however, prompted me to take her for what she said. In Mashhad, the delegates were first taken to the shrine of Imam Reza. After returning to the hotel, I learnt that she was upset at being denied entry to the shrine. When questioned on her religious identity at the shrine, she had said that she was a Christian. A few other non-Muslim ladies were not posed the same question and were prepared to move on as ‘Muslims’, if they were asked. But her stand was, ‘How can I lie?’ When I explained to her that the shrine was regarded as a ‘holy site’ by Shias, she replied, “Oh, if it is a point of pilgrimage for them, I understand.”
Imperial doctrine
Life in Iran is on the move. Having overthrown the monarchy in 1979, with Imam Khomeini as their revolutionary leader, they are against their government being replaced by US-controlled leaders. They don’t want to fall victims to what Noam Chomsky described as US’ ‘imperial doctrine.’
Sign language works
With only a few hours to spare, I opted to take a taxi to markets suggested by hotel staff. Using sign language, asked a taxi-driver the fare for the bazaar I wished to visit. Then I moved on to another. Before I knew, a few taxis that were on the move, parked by the roadside to see whether I’d approach them. It didn’t take long to opt for one whose rates seemed reasonable. Interestingly, a little bargaining made me feel fairly at ease. On his part, the taxi-driver tried his best to guide me on which would be best place to shop from. When I said, “Farsi samajh namumkin” (I don’t understand Persian), he replied with a big smile, “Angrezi samajh namumkin” (I don’t understand English). Yet, despite the language problem, just simple communication helped me understand Iranians as warm and friendly people ready with smiles and advice to help even odd strangers.
[email protected]
no way is India going to occupy another country colonial style for profiteering & racketeering.V_Raman wrote: will india send a massive contingent of troops for this? is this the agreement with USA in exchange for nuclear deal?
We could use it to gain influence if we build links to Shiites.Neshant wrote:no way is India going to occupy another country colonial style for profiteering & racketeering.V_Raman wrote: will india send a massive contingent of troops for this? is this the agreement with USA in exchange for nuclear deal?
Carl_T wrote:We could use it to gain influence if we build links to Shiites.
Or we could pursue our own interests there. Surely that can be leveraged somehow.Neshant wrote:Carl_T wrote:We could use it to gain influence if we build links to Shiites.
Nobody is going to build links to anywhere by dropping mercenaries on a foreign nation.
Its a case of Ali Baba & the 40 thieves.
Ali baba being the one who invaded Iraq to expropriate its oil in exchange for printed up fiat.
The 40 thieves being the nations who hope to partake in the looting.
Lets not sully India's good name by doing the dirty laundry of others.
that is precisely why india fits the bill. it is the only capable honest peacekeeper that will be trusted by everyone there. it does not seem that far fetched.Neshant wrote:no way is India going to occupy another country colonial style for profiteering & racketeering.V_Raman wrote: will india send a massive contingent of troops for this? is this the agreement with USA in exchange for nuclear deal?
I don't think you understand.V_Raman wrote: that is precisely why india fits the bill. it is the only capable honest peacekeeper that will be trusted by everyone there. it does not seem that far fetched.
This is just getting more interesting...<clapping>shyamd wrote: Iran seeks investment pact, doubling of trade with India
Ahaaa.... do I see that India is cultivating Iran to have similar relations that US has with TSP?? I.e. showing the US that if you support TSP, we will support Iran.
aa beyl mujhe maar!V_Raman wrote:will india send a massive contingent of troops for this? is this the agreement with USA in exchange for nuclear deal?
On July 6, the Washington Post ran a story about Iran's preparations for a naval clash in response to the shi- inspection provision of the Security Council resolution. The article discussed Iran's "asymmetric" tactics against the U.S. 5th Fleet which could involve anti-ship missile attacks supplemented with suicide speedboat and aircraft attacks on U.S. warships near Iran. U.S. commanders, informed by war-games and training exercises, claim to be ready for these tactics.
India and Iran today decided to enhance the number of flights between the two nations from 23 to 31 every week and agreed to allow each other's airlines to operate to two additional destinations.
Earlier, Iran Air and Mahan Air were operating a few flights to India but no Indian carrier has been flying to Iran for several years now, aviation sources said.
The agreement, the spokesperson said, had the potential to spur greater trade investment and tourism while strengthening cultural exchanges between the two countries.