David James
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In Iran PM Manmohan Singh took NAM centre stage
TEHRAN: PM Manmohan Singh wasn't planning to be the star performer at the NAM summit. He was to speak on 21st century developmental issues in late afternoon on August 30.
However, his officials had worked hard to set up bilateral meetings with leaders of Nepal and Egypt. Certainly, Egypt was important with a new Islamist government in power after the Arab Spring. And, new Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi was in Tehran for only a few hours to pass on the baton of chairmanship of NAM to the Iranian leadership.
The meeting with the PM was India's way of an opening engagement with Morsi and the new leadership in Egypt, which is a significant supplier of energy for New Delhi.
But the Iranians had other plans for Singh. At the inaugural, they, very politely, manoeuvred him to sit at a select circle of heads of state and government, to listen to the Supreme Leader's speech that was a diatribe against the various injustices against Iran.
Then, before the Indians knew what was happening, the Iranian protocol mandarins shepherded the PM to the dais, to sit with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Morsi and UN secretary general Ban ki Moon.
It was Singh who kicked off the general debate at the NAM summit, and became the most important foreign dignitary.
Asked later, the Iran foreign ministry said India and Egypt were the only two founder members of NAM present at the head of government level.
In the process, though, Singh's meeting with Morsi and Nepalese PM Baburam Bhattarai fell by the wayside. Pleasantries were exchanged but it could have been deeper. Morsi lambasted the Iranian side on their support for Bashar-al Assad's regime in Syria. Morsi said, "Ladies and gentlemen, our solidarity with the struggle of the dear people of Syria against a repressive regime, which has lost its legitimacy, is a political and strategic necessity, and also a moral duty." Iran is backing the Assad regime, so Morsi's speech was an embarrassment.
The picture of Singh on the dais with Ahmedinejad was important from the Iranian point of view. It does not matter what the NAM outcome document said, or the stern message the PM delivered to the Iranian leadership on the nuclear issue or on Syria. The picture, which spoke a thousand words, had Singh and Ahmedinejad at the same table.
For the Iranian government beleaguered by international pressure, this may be a picture to treasure, a way of showing that Tehran was not isolated in the world a point Iran repeatedly made, and one that was rejected by the western media.
For the Indian side, the incident showed a few things.
First, Singh continues to have a great deal of international acceptance.
Second, India, for all it's non-aligned stance, is seen to be of some consequence with the West, so New Delhi's apparent "endorsement" of Iran mattered.
The Indian side was fully aware of the Iranian "ambush" but they just smiled, and let it be.
PM Manmohan Singh took NAM centre stage - The Times of India
TEHRAN: PM Manmohan Singh wasn't planning to be the star performer at the NAM summit. He was to speak on 21st century developmental issues in late afternoon on August 30.
However, his officials had worked hard to set up bilateral meetings with leaders of Nepal and Egypt. Certainly, Egypt was important with a new Islamist government in power after the Arab Spring. And, new Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi was in Tehran for only a few hours to pass on the baton of chairmanship of NAM to the Iranian leadership.
The meeting with the PM was India's way of an opening engagement with Morsi and the new leadership in Egypt, which is a significant supplier of energy for New Delhi.
But the Iranians had other plans for Singh. At the inaugural, they, very politely, manoeuvred him to sit at a select circle of heads of state and government, to listen to the Supreme Leader's speech that was a diatribe against the various injustices against Iran.
Then, before the Indians knew what was happening, the Iranian protocol mandarins shepherded the PM to the dais, to sit with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Morsi and UN secretary general Ban ki Moon.
It was Singh who kicked off the general debate at the NAM summit, and became the most important foreign dignitary.
Asked later, the Iran foreign ministry said India and Egypt were the only two founder members of NAM present at the head of government level.
In the process, though, Singh's meeting with Morsi and Nepalese PM Baburam Bhattarai fell by the wayside. Pleasantries were exchanged but it could have been deeper. Morsi lambasted the Iranian side on their support for Bashar-al Assad's regime in Syria. Morsi said, "Ladies and gentlemen, our solidarity with the struggle of the dear people of Syria against a repressive regime, which has lost its legitimacy, is a political and strategic necessity, and also a moral duty." Iran is backing the Assad regime, so Morsi's speech was an embarrassment.
The picture of Singh on the dais with Ahmedinejad was important from the Iranian point of view. It does not matter what the NAM outcome document said, or the stern message the PM delivered to the Iranian leadership on the nuclear issue or on Syria. The picture, which spoke a thousand words, had Singh and Ahmedinejad at the same table.
For the Iranian government beleaguered by international pressure, this may be a picture to treasure, a way of showing that Tehran was not isolated in the world a point Iran repeatedly made, and one that was rejected by the western media.
For the Indian side, the incident showed a few things.
First, Singh continues to have a great deal of international acceptance.
Second, India, for all it's non-aligned stance, is seen to be of some consequence with the West, so New Delhi's apparent "endorsement" of Iran mattered.
The Indian side was fully aware of the Iranian "ambush" but they just smiled, and let it be.
PM Manmohan Singh took NAM centre stage - The Times of India
