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Urea imports from Iran banned ahead of Hillary Clinton's visit.
Hillary Clinton
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is scheduled to visit India on May 7.
In a move that has raised eyebrows, India has banned urea imports from Iran. The State Trading Corporation (STC), which sources urea, issued tender No. STC/ Urea/ Imp/ 1/ 2012- 2013, dated 26 April 2012, to source urea but clearly indicated that Iran is banned.
The document said that STC invites bids for purchase of prilled/ granular urea (fertiliser grade) in bulk for shipments from ports latest by July 15, 2012. "The origin of the offered urea should be other than Iran. Bids offering urea originating from Iran shall not be considered for evaluation," the tender document, circulated by the fertiliser division of the STC, said."
Publicly, India has refused to tow the US line on Iran but officials told Headlines Today that New Deli is slowly scaling down imports from Tehran.
The move could be a part of this strategy ahead of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India on May 7 even though officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are tight-lipped. In diplomacy, often quid pro quo is an accepted practice but the big issue is what triggered this particular move and it timing.
The STC sources urea on behalf of the ministry of fertiliser and officials said that they followed the instructions of the ministry. Experts say that Iran constitutes about 35 per cent of urea imports and the move has also pushed the price of urea imports to around $ 500 more per tonne. Sources in STC said that the move was on the directions of the ministry of fertiliser, which had problems with some suppliers, but this doesn't explain the rationale of banning imports from country, which is bound to have some diplomatic repercussions.
Interestingly, MEA had earlier said that it had conveyed to the US that it will not succumb to its pressure on Iran, and that message was conveyed by foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai. Sources say that Indian ambassador to Iran, Dinkar Shrivastava had send a SOS to New Deli seeking clarifications as the move could jeopardise Indo-Iranian relations.
New Delhi has a difficult diplomatic choice pleasing the US and maintaining its relationship with Iran. India needs Iran for access to Afghanistan, where it is engaged in reconstruction projects to the tune of over $ 2 billion.
Urea imports from Iran banned ahead of Hillary Clinton's visit : World News - India Today
Uncle SAM must be Happy.
Hillary Clinton
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is scheduled to visit India on May 7.
In a move that has raised eyebrows, India has banned urea imports from Iran. The State Trading Corporation (STC), which sources urea, issued tender No. STC/ Urea/ Imp/ 1/ 2012- 2013, dated 26 April 2012, to source urea but clearly indicated that Iran is banned.
The document said that STC invites bids for purchase of prilled/ granular urea (fertiliser grade) in bulk for shipments from ports latest by July 15, 2012. "The origin of the offered urea should be other than Iran. Bids offering urea originating from Iran shall not be considered for evaluation," the tender document, circulated by the fertiliser division of the STC, said."
Publicly, India has refused to tow the US line on Iran but officials told Headlines Today that New Deli is slowly scaling down imports from Tehran.
The move could be a part of this strategy ahead of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India on May 7 even though officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are tight-lipped. In diplomacy, often quid pro quo is an accepted practice but the big issue is what triggered this particular move and it timing.
The STC sources urea on behalf of the ministry of fertiliser and officials said that they followed the instructions of the ministry. Experts say that Iran constitutes about 35 per cent of urea imports and the move has also pushed the price of urea imports to around $ 500 more per tonne. Sources in STC said that the move was on the directions of the ministry of fertiliser, which had problems with some suppliers, but this doesn't explain the rationale of banning imports from country, which is bound to have some diplomatic repercussions.
Interestingly, MEA had earlier said that it had conveyed to the US that it will not succumb to its pressure on Iran, and that message was conveyed by foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai. Sources say that Indian ambassador to Iran, Dinkar Shrivastava had send a SOS to New Deli seeking clarifications as the move could jeopardise Indo-Iranian relations.
New Delhi has a difficult diplomatic choice pleasing the US and maintaining its relationship with Iran. India needs Iran for access to Afghanistan, where it is engaged in reconstruction projects to the tune of over $ 2 billion.
Urea imports from Iran banned ahead of Hillary Clinton's visit : World News - India Today
Uncle SAM must be Happy.
