US ambassador summoned to Indian foreign ministry for complaint
Foreign secretary Shyam Saran termed remarks by ambassador David Mulford “inappropriate and not conducive to a strong partnership between two democracies.”
Wednesday, Mulford warned New Delhi that the landmark US-Indian nuclear deal could “die” if India backed Iran at the coming UN watchdog’s crisis session Feb. 2 on Iran’s nuclear program. The deal would have ended the US sanctions in force ever since India’s 1998 nuclear tests. The ambassador claimed that his words were taken out of context and the state department said he had only voiced his personal views.
The Indian official declared New Delhi’s vote would be determined by its own judgment of the merits of the case.