WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder and co-chairman of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation, condemned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement of complete support for Iran’s nuclear program. Such unequivocal approval directly conflicts with one of the key conditions Congress placed upon approval of the India nuclear cooperation agreement in December 2006, namely India’s support for ending Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Unfortunately, since then India has continued to deepen its economic and military relationship with Iran.
Rep. Markey said, “It is astonishing that Indian Prime Minister Singh is out cheerleading for Iran’s nuclear program. His statements of support have placed India squarely on the opposite side from responsible international opinion when it comes to the question of Iran’s dangerous and destabilizing nuclear program.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency declared Iran to be in violation of its safeguards agreement in September of 2005, and formally referred the issue of Iran’s nuclear program to the United Nations Security Council in February 2006. Since that time, the Security Council has imposed two rounds of international sanctions against Iran.
Instead of supporting the actions of the Security Council on Iran, Prime Minister Singh was quoted by Press TV playing down the issue by saying that “negotiations within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must be considered as the basis for resolving the [Iranian nuclear] issue.” This statement is directly opposed to the position of the United States government, which continues to seek further sanctions at the Security Council.
Further, in giving its conditional approval to U.S.-India nuclear cooperation, the Congress required “India’s full and active participation in United States efforts to dissuade, isolate, and, if necessary, sanction and contain Iran for its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.”
“Prime Minster Singh knows full well that Congress has demanded India’s full support in ending Iran’s nuclear program as a key requirement for the U.S.-India nuclear deal. Why is Mr. Singh continuing to disregard the U.S. Congress and throw his support behind Iran’s nuclear program? Statements like this could very well kill the already deeply troubled nuclear deal,” Rep. Markey concluded.
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 9, 2007 |
CONTACT: Jessica Schafer, 202.225.2836 |
