Iran, India to strengthen diplomatic ties

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Nov 2022 18:45
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According to the Iranian official Ali Bagheri Kani, the historical ties between the two countries constitute the foundation for enhancing political, economic and security conditions.

Iranian diplomat Ali Bagheri Kani and Indian diplomat Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi, India, November 24, 2022

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani met with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in the Indian capital New Delhi on Thursday to discuss strengthening bilateral relations between Iran and India in various fields.

Bagheri Kani said cooperation between his country and India would have a positive impact on their bilateral relations at a global level.

The official further added that the historical ties between the two countries constitute the foundation of enhancing political, economic, and security conditions.

Bagheri Kani announced Iran’s readiness to bolster its partnership with India, all while considering shared interests, regional issues, and ways of overcoming these challenges - particularly through the consolidation of transnational infrastructures.

Pleased to receive Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs @Bagheri_Kani .

Discussed our bilateral cooperation, regional issues and JCPOA. pic.twitter.com/9T4mKerkxw
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 23, 2022

Ties between ancient Persia and ancient India date back millennia, but in recent years, relations between the two countries have been shrouded in confusion.

Both countries cooperated extensively in various fields, including trade and energy. However, India has on several occasions shown opposition to Iran's autonomy, particularly through its siding with unjust Western sanctions and discrimination.

For instance, just recently, India voted in favor of a resolution ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the IAEA's investigation into alleged uranium traces found at three "undeclared sites".

It could be, however, that India was "coerced" into voting for the resolution.

In 2005, former Bush administration official Stephen Rademaker said that India's votes against Iran at the IAEA were "coerced", the Payvand news agency has said.

"The best illustration of this is the two votes India cast against Iran at the IAEA. I am the first person to admit that the votes were coerced."

The last formal meeting between senior officials of both countries involved Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on September 16 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, during which both discussed ways of developing bilateral ties.

In July, it was reported by The Tribune newspaper that India urged Iran to activate the 7,200 km International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) as a means of facilitating trade between India and Russia.

The report stated that the two nations are planning to establish a corridor that passes through Iran and facilitates transport between them.