미국의 이란 압박정책에 손을 들어주는 인도(India will not apply for U.S. sanctions exemption on Iran)

인도가 미국과 이란 사이에서 밧줄타기를 하고 있다.


미국의 이란에 대한 경제(석유 수입 제한)/군사적 압박에 대해 인도는 미국의 편을 드는 것으로 보인다.


참고로 미국의 이런 행동에 대해 EU와 일본은 이미 제외신청을 했다.


이미 인도의 이란 석유 수입은 09년부터 꾸준히 감소하고 있으며,


인도가 만약 미국의 편을 계속 들 경우 이란으로부터의 석유 수입 및 그로인한 경제적 부가가치에 대해서 상당한 타격을 입을 수 있다.


따라서 에너지가 풍부하지 않은 인도의 입장에서는 최대한 중용을 지키는게 좋아 보인다.










Even as the U.S. steadily tightens the screws on the sanctions regime against Iran, energy-deficient, rapid-growth nations such as India are finding themselves walking a tightrope with their continued but declining reliance on Iranian oil imports.


Ten European nations and Japan have already been given an exemption from punitive actions by the U.S. for purportedly reducing their oil imports from Iran “significantly.”


Yet India in particular would appear to be purposefully walking a line that sacrifices neither its core interest, the need to meet the demands of more than 400 million Indians with no access to commercial energy, nor its commitment to adhere to United Nations sanctions regimes.


Last week the U.S. put out its most direct message on Iran yet — that India, along with other importers of Persian oil, could face sanctions by July if it too did not reduce such imports “significantly” — a term that has not been defined quantitatively in the U.S. 2012 National Defence Authorisation Act (Section 1245), except to allude, by comparison, to Japan's reduction of 15-22 per cent.


At this point India remains in compliance with United Nations sanctions against Iran, yet it has, however, refused to recognise any country-specific sanctions overlay above this globally accepted level.


Consistent with this position it appears that India will not be making an application for a sanctions exemption from the U.S.


Whether private companies engaged in the oil trade with Iran independently start reducing their volumes is another question.


Some of these companies are said to be facing constraints on their business in any case, given the broader sanctions against Iranian central bank and other financial institutions, and the knock-on effect that that has in terms of payment instruments.


If that trend continues India may find itself meeting the U.S.' demands without any extra effort to do so.


While India reportedly imported 21 million tonnes of Iranian oil in 2009-10, that dropped to around 18 million tonnes in 2010-11.


If further efforts had to be made, however, those seeking to press country-specific sanctions on Iran would have to take account of the fact that Indian refineries processing light crude from Iran would need to have their capital-intensive infrastructure modified, and that is likely to be expensive.


Alternative approaches that India may independently decide to follow, should the need arise, could entail the use of wheat exports to Iran that would help India avoid being branded as a contributor of hard currency to Iranian coffers.




(Copyright : TheHindu.com , NARAYAN LAKSHMAN, WASHINGTON, March 28, 2012)




(군사적) 제재, 정권, 들리는 바에 의하면(reportedly), 인정하다, 승낙하다, 압박, 고려하다, ~라고 낙인찍히다,  금괴