Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit India on April 29, in a purported goodwill trip that will reportedly feature meetings with both President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The United States had earlier urged New Delhi to send a strong message to the controversial politician, and hoped that India would ask Iran to bolster its anti-terrorism efforts and comply with United Nations' rules regarding its nuclear programme.
In a clear refutation of the Bush administration's wishes, an Indian government spokesperson on April 22 said that ''India and Iran are ancient civilisations whose relations span centuries. Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations as both believe that engagement and dialogue alone lead to peace."
But how did the Iranian President draw US and UN ire in the first place?
Text: Matthew Schneeberger
Image: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Iranian President addresses Columbia University
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