External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Takht Ravanchi in New Delhi on January 3 and discussed the wide expanse of India-Iran ties.
In a post on X, the EAM said that the two leaders held discussions on the bilateral ties of India and Iran, the progress on the Chabahar port along with regional developments.
” Received Deputy FM @TakhtRavanchiof Iran this evening. Discussed our bilateral ties, progress in Chabahar port and regional developments. Confident that the Foreign Office Consultations will give a momentum to our partnership,” Jaishankar said.
Meanwhile, the 19th India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations were held in New Delhi which was cochaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Ravanchi. India and Iran reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relationships, including Chabahar Port, agricultural cooperation, trade and economic issues, as well as cultural and people-to-people ties. It is understood that the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister underlined the need for boosting tourism between the two countries as part of enhancing people-to-people ties.
The Iranian side is learnt to have requested New Delhi to explore ways to resume procurement of Iranian crude oil. India stopped the procurement of crude oil from Iran in mid-2019 following sanctions imposed on the Persian Gulf nation by the United States.
The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the discussions also covered current regional and global developments, including the situation in Afghanistan, West Asia, and the South Caucasus. The Foreign Secretary highlighted the significance of Chabahar Port in supporting Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic development. Both sides reiterated their commitment to deepen cooperation in multilateral fora, including the UN, BRICS, and SCO.
