Al Ahram, P.6 (12-11-2007)

In his statements to Al Ahram, an Indian official:

India confirms its support for Egypt's efforts towards the peaceful use of nuclear energy

By: Dina Kamal

    Salman Khurshid, an MP of the Indian Parliament, stressed the deeply-rooted Egyptian-Indian relations. He highlighted that Egypt is a key state in the Middle East region and it plays a prominent role in all regional issues in the Middle East.

    In his statements to Al Ahram, Mr. Salman confirmed that his country is keen on its good relations with all Arab countries, as all of them are friends of India. He added that India's relations with Israel would not negatively affect its relations with the Arab countries. He underscored the fact that India has been one of the first countries, which supported the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian people. Mr. Khurshid expressed his hope that the international peace conference scheduled to be held in the US would come up with results, which would push forward the peace process. He added that the current situation is too sensitive to allow for the failure of this conference.

    He praised Egypt's decision on the development of nuclear technology in order to ensure a new source of clean energy. He indicated that this is an important field and can witness cooperation between Egypt and India, given India's experience in this field.

    As for the Iranian problem, Mr. Khurshid said that Iran has to abide by the provisions of NPT, because it is one of the signatories to the treaty. "Dialogue is the ideal means to end this crisis like what happened with North Korea," Mr. Khurshid said. 

    He added that India, though is not a signatory to this treaty, has not been subjected to such a crisis throughout its history of using peaceful nuclear energy. Moreover, the international community is totally assured that India does not have any intention to misuse the nuclear energy.

    In this context, Mr. Khurshid hailed the call made by President Mubarak to free the Middle East region from nuclear weapons and this should include Israel, given the dangers the region could face in case of developing and using nuclear weapons. "In fact, serious steps should be taken in this regard to maintain security in the region and evacuate these weapons for good,"
Mr. Khurshid added.

    He expressed his sorrow for the recent escalation of violent acts in Pakistan and the emergence of extremists' problems. He added that the situation there requires setting up a long-term plan for establishing democracy.