External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India abides only by the sanctions imposed by the United Nations and not that of any individual nation indicating that the country may not be in a hurry to re-consider its economic ties with Iran on account of the fresh sanctions imposed by the US on the Islamic nation.
“India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral sanctions by any country,” Swaraj said at a press conference on Monday when asked about India’s response to the US decision of withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is in New Delhi to discuss the situation following the US rejection of the nuclear accord and to find out about India’s position on the matter. Iran is the third largest supplier of oil to India, after Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
‘No talks with Pakistan’
The Minister ruled out resuming comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan anytime soon as talks were not “appropriate” when people were dying at the border. “We are always ready for talks with Pakistan but with a caveat that terror and talks cannot go together... There cannot be a comprehensive dialogue till Pakistan shuns terror,” she said.
The press conference was held to mark the completion of four years of the Narendra Modi-led government. On the tightening of work visa restrictions by the US, the Minister said India was talking to the US White House, Administration and Congress to convince them not to revoke H-1B (short-term work visas for professionals) and H4 visas (work permits for spouses of H1-B visa holders).
“We are trying our best to save H1-B visas and H4 visas. But America is a sovereign country. Ultimately they have to decide. How successful we will be, will be decided in the future. But I assure the country from this platform that we would not spare any effort,” she said.
Praising the work done by the Modi government, Swaraj said the government has achieved “unprecedented outreach and unparalleled outcome” at the global stage in the last four years. She pointed out that India had secured membership of three export control regimes out of four since the government came to power in 2014.