Indian FM: Expansion of Ties with Iran Necessary

During the phone call on Thursday, Jaishankar congratulated Amir Abdollahian on his appointment as Iran’s foreign minister.

The Indian foreign minister said it is necessary Iran and India expand their ties.

He referred to the wide range of areas in which Iran and India work together like their regional and transportation cooperation, and invited the Iranian foreign minister to visit India for further negotiations.

The top Indian diplomat also said Iran and India need to continue consultations on Afghanistan.

Amir Abdollahian, for his part, appreciated the Indian counterpart’s invitation, and underscored the need to expand Iran-India relations in different economic fields and also cooperation on vaccines.

The Iranian foreign minister called for speeding up the Chabahar Project and expanding trade with India.

Amir Abdollahian also referred to the situation in Afghanistan, and said it is Iran’s principled policy to support the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan made up of all Afghan ethnic groups.

He said the international community, including the regional nations, should join hands to defuse the crisis in Afghanistan.

In a relevant development in July, Iranian President-elect Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi underlined that Iran and India play a key role in strengthening collective efforts to establish security in the region.

“Collective security with the participation of regional countries, including Iran and India, as two important players in the region besides extensive economic interactions are among the important priorities in relations between the two countries,” Rayeesi said in a with Jaishankar in Tehran.

He added that “stable and lasting” relations between Tehran and New Delhi, specially in the economic field, depended on regulating the bilateral ties in a manner that they would solely serve the two countries’ national interests.

Rayeesi said the US “maximum pressure” policy against Iran had failed, as acknowledged by the Americans themselves, and the Islamic Republic would continue down its path to progress vigorously.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president-elect expressed Tehran’s support for stability, security and peace in Afghanistan.