INDIA DENIES TO
PAY IRAN OIL DEBT
According to the Indian officials, dismissing
Iranian media reports it is said that they had not yet paid any oil money to
Iran under a deal that provides Tehran some relief from Western sanctions.
Under a landmark deal signed on Nov. 24, Washington
and the European Union agreed to let Iran access $ 4.2 billion in oil revenue
that had been frozen in accounts abroad. Iranian oil ministry said India had
deposited some of the money in a Central Bank of Iran account. He said that 45
percent of the money had been deposited in Indian rupees and 55 percent in Euros.
Indian government and industry sourced told Reuters
on Tuesday that India had yet not made any payments. As part of a limited
relaxing of sanctions over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme the funds are
expected to be paid in eight transfers with the first made by Japan
on Feb 1. Indian officials said that late last month that they were ready to
say $ 1.5 billion to clear part of a backlog of payments following the partial
easing of western sanctions on Tehran.
