India backs Iran for SAARC observer

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Keywords: Iran, New Delhi

New Delhi: The Foreign Secretaries of SAARC member-states met in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of the 14th summit that starts on Tuesday.

They have recommended that Iran be accorded observer status.

Meanwhile, Iran on Saturday moved a step closer to being associated with SAARC, as a high-level meeting of the regional body approved its application for Observer status.

The meeting of SAARC Foreign Secretaries unanimously recommended that Iran's request be accepted by the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Summit.

Announcing this, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the SAARC Standing Committee (of Foreign Secretaries) had made "positive recommendation" and it was for the Summit to decide on it.

The meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers will take place on Monday, a day before the Summit.

Earlier, India had said that it would welcome Iran's association with SAARC.

Ahead of the meet, security in and around Delhi has been tightened in view of threat perceptions from Pakistan-based militant groups and the LTTE.

The new Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta held a meeting of various security agencies where he was given a detailed briefing by officials of the ministry on steps taken to prevent any untoward incident during the summit.

Heads of seven nations - Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lanakan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Nepalese Prime Minister G P Koirala, Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh's interim government Fakhruddin Ahmed and Bhutan Prime Minister Khandu Wangchuk - will attend the summit.

(With agency inputs)