New Delhi: Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, while on an official visit to Iran, reiterated India’s commitment to continue sending humanitarian aid to Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry.
The foreign secretary was in Tehran to co-chair a meeting of India-Iran Foreign Office consultations, co-chaired by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani. Kwatra met several high-ranking Iranian officials during his visit, including Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amirabdollahian.
“Highlighting Iran’s significant role in the West Asian region, the Indian foreign secretary reiterated his country’s commitment to continue sending in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people,” read a statement issued by the Iranian foreign ministry Sunday, after Kwatra’s meeting with Amirabdollahian.
The Indian foreign secretary was on a two-day visit to Tehran at a time when tensions between the US and Iran are growing amid mounting fears over the war in Gaza spilling into the region.
According to a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Kwatra and the Iranian foreign minister also discussed ways to bolster bilateral connectivity, including projects like the Chabahar port.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra called on FM @Amirabdolahian of Iran in Tehran today.
Discussed bilateral matters, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, and shared perspective on current challenges in the region. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/mCmA0FkOk4
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) November 26, 2023
“Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra called on FM Amirabdollahian of Iran in Tehran today. Discussed bilateral matters, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, and shared perspective on current challenges in the region. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ongoing cooperation in various spheres,” the MEA said on X (formerly Twitter).
Also Read: How India is boosting its strategic & economic ties with distant Latin America, Caribbean
Cooperation in SCO, BRICS
During the 18th India-Iran foreign office talks, Tehran pushed for expanding cooperation between India and Iran in multilateral fora, including within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), BRICS and the United Nations (UN).
“He (Bagheri) underscored the importance of expanding Tehran-New Delhi relations in multilateral and regional arenas, including within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, the United Nations, and its affiliated institutions,” read the statement from the Iranian foreign ministry.
The Indian foreign secretary, according to the readout issued by Iran, conveyed to Tehran that India “welcomes collaboration with Iran within the frameworks” of the SCO and BRICS.
In July, Iran became the ninth and newest permanent member of the SCO — primarily viewed as a China-led grouping — for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Last week, at a special BRICS meeting on the Israel-Hamas war, the Iranian President had slammed Israel and the West’s support of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, terming it a clear sign of an “unjust international system of the West”.
This came weeks after the Iranian foreign minister wrote to BRICS members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — urging them to intervene in the “dire” Gaza situation.
Talks on Chabahar port project
During the 18th India-Iran foreign office talks, Tehran and New Delhi also discussed the Chabahar port project, which has seen multiple delays since 2020.
India and Iran are reportedly negotiating terms of a long-term contract for a deep-sea port at Chabahar — India’s first foreign port project.
However, in 2019, progress on the project began to lose pace owing to deteriorating US-Iran bilateral relations and sanctions imposed on Tehran by the then-Donald Trump administration in Washington.
Earlier this year, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, one of Iran’s top diplomats, had told ThePrint that Tehran is actively trying to find a solution for faster implementation of the Chabahar port project despite “technical issues”.
This was also discussed when the Indian foreign secretary met Mehdi Safari, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy, in Tehran Sunday. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on X that discussions held between the two “focused on concretising India’s engagement in development of the Chabahar port as a connectivity project”.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: Afghan embassy row: Consulate says ‘no Afghan diplomats in India, remaining aligned with Taliban’