International
oi-Ashish Rana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday in New Delhi to discuss the situation in West Asia and finding ways to strengthen ties between India and Iran.
On Friday in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the West Asia situation and strengthening India-Iran cooperation, coinciding with the BRICS summit and amidst heightened regional tensions.
Just a few hours after Pezeshkian arrived in India to attend the BRICS summit the meeting took place. It is Iran’s president’s first visit to India since he become Iran’s president.
Iran President’s India Visit Comes Amid Rising Tensions
The visit assumes significance as it comes amid a sudden spike in overall tensions in West Asia following the US slapping new punitive economic measures against Iran.
“India and Iran share civilizational ties, marked by robust cultural and people-to-people bonds. As BRICS partners, the two countries are working to contribute to shared progress and prosperity,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.
Pezeshkian Calls for Stronger BRICS Economic Resilience
Before leaving for New Delhi, Pezeshkian underlined the need for BRICS to focus on boosting its economic resilience.
“The new BRICS bank was created to free countries from reliance on the dollar and to stand against America’s push for dominance,” he said.
Modi, Pezeshkian Had Met in Bishkek
Modi had met the Iranian leader in Bishkek on August 31 and conveyed that India supports all efforts towards ending the conflict.
Pezeshkian, on his part, had urged Modi to use India’s extensive contacts with various parties to help them move away from the path of war and bloodshed, and return to the path of dialogue and agreement.
India Likely to Raise Freedom of Navigation
In the talks this evening, the Indian side is expected to again underline the importance of ensuring the freedom of navigation and the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure in the region.
Strait of Hormuz Blockade Disrupts Oil Supplies
Global oil supplies have suffered severe disruptions following Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, considered the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, through which roughly 20 per cent of global petroleum flows.
