The Cradle, November 24, 2022 — Iran’s deputy foreign minister is in India to discuss extensive bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani traveled to India on 24 November and was received by India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for bilateral cooperation talks in various fields.
Kani began the meeting by praising the historical bonds between Iran and India, further stressing that close cooperation between the two states would bolster the infrastructure for multilateralism on an international scale.
The deputy foreign minister reiterated Tehran’s readiness to meet New Delhi’s energy demands, as well as boost regional and bilateral cooperation.
Kani noted that Iran could satisfy India’s energy needs in exchange for New Delhi providing Tehran with food security.
He emphasized that the two countries must help each other fulfill mutual interests and use their capabilities to fight common threats.
Jaishankar elaborated on the necessity for Iran and India to engage in frequent consultations, further promoting New Delhi’s willingness to expand cooperation in several fields.
Before the implementation of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iran was previously one of India’s largest oil suppliers; however, the Indian government prevented the further sale of Iranian oil imports to India in May 2019.
In an exclusive interview with Asian News International on 4 November, Iraj Elahi, Iran’s ambassador to India, expressed Tehran’s dedication to resuming oil sales to New Delhi.
Elahi remarked: “we always express our readiness to increase our economic ties with India. It’s up to India. We are ready to deliver oil. Independence of Iran is the best guarantee for India.”
Elahi also reached out to India a month prior, to request help with combating ISIS in the aftermath of the group’s attack on the shrine of Shah Cheragh in Shiraz in October. The ambassador further stressed that the extremist group poses a threat to the entire region and not just Iran.
For the first time last week, India received the Syrian foreign minister for talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Damascus and New Delhi.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faysal Mikdad stressed that India has always supported Syria’s sovereignty and rejected foreign interference in the Syrian conflict that began in 2011.
These two visits from Iranian and Syrian officials highlight India’s ability to refrain from complying with Washington’s demands. India rejected US demands to join the band of states that sanctioned Russia, Iran, and Syria.