New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- Iran has described its relationship with India as "long-standing" and "historic", days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the two countries share a historic and civilisational relationship and that Tehran attaches significant importance to its ties with New Delhi. He said India's membership of both the SCO and BRICS, along with cooperation in areas including trade and the economy, makes the relationship important for Iran. Baghaei also said that issues such as the Chabahar Port are regularly discussed during consultations between the two countries. He added that relations between Iran and India continue to develop.
During their meeting at the SCO summit, Modi and Pezeshkian discussed bilateral ties, including trade and cooperation related to the development of Chabahar Port. Modi said India remains committed to strengthening its long-standing friendship with Iran across various sectors and expressed a desire to expand and diversify bilateral trade. The two leaders also discussed the situation in West Asia. Modi reiterated India's support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy. He also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as freedom of navigation and commerce.
The meeting also drew attention from the United States amid its ongoing conflict with Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said countries have their own foreign policies but maintained that no country should assist Iran in evading US sanctions.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.