In message to Iran’s President Pezeshkian, PM Modi flags dialogue, freedom of navigation & trade

In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry said Pezeshkian asked 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”. He cited India’s “important position and capacities” in the region and the world, as well as the deep historical and cultural ties between the two countries.

The Iran readout quoted Modi as telling Pezeshkian that “during the difficult period we have recently experienced, we sought to maintain and preserve our cooperation and communications with Iran.”

“From what I have come to know of your personality, you are a peace-loving person, and I believe that you can play an effective role in advancing the cause of peace. I am confident that your efforts will ultimately lead to positive results… I agree with you that there are those who see their interests in war, but we must intensify our efforts to establish peace. My belief and conviction is that, ultimately, peace and security will prevail,” Modi was quoted as saying.

“The two leaders discussed bilateral ties. They also discussed the recent developments in the West Asia conflict and shared perspectives on the evolving situation. The PM expressed concern at the escalation of tensions in the region and reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said Modi reiterated the need for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. “Calling for safeguarding the freedom of navigation and commerce, he emphasised that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers, must not be harmed under any circumstances,” the MEA said, referring to the attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian statement said Pezeshkian “expressed appreciation for New Delhi’s support and cooperation… and emphasised the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to establish peace and security in the region”.

“From the very beginning of our administration, our efforts have been focused on ensuring peace and security and resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations. Unfortunately, instead of making use of diplomatic mechanisms, the Americans have chosen the path of war, insecurity, and imposing their will through force,” Pezeshkian said.

Saying that Iran has never welcomed war, he added: “Our responsibility requires us to protect our people from danger and insecurity and to create the conditions necessary for them to achieve peace, tranquility and security.”

Referring to the agreements reached in the course of efforts to resolve existing issues, he said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has remained committed to the obligations it has undertaken within the framework of the agreements, but unfortunately, the American side has failed to fulfill its commitments.” He said they continued to work towards achieving agreement and understanding, as the continuation of war is not in the interest “of us, the region, or humanity”.

“Unfortunately, there are groups within the US that see the continuation of war as serving their interests and seek to perpetuate conflicts. We believe, however, that by strengthening the forces committed to peace, we must move toward peace, stability and security,” Pezeshkian said, according to Tehran’s readout.

“We believe that the solution to the issues we face lies in dialogue and cooperation, and that all available capacities must be mobilised to prevent the spread of insecurity and conflict,” he said.

The MEA said Modi reiterated “India’s readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO”, and conveyed that he looked forward to welcoming Pezeshkian to India for the BRICS summit.

On the bilateral front, the Iranian foreign ministry said the President emphasised “Tehran’s readiness to further develop and deepen bilateral relations… in all areas, referring to the longstanding and friendly relations between the two countries”.

“Iran and India possess extensive capacities for expanding cooperation in political, economic, scientific, cultural and other areas of mutual interest. By strengthening bilateral cooperation and neutralising the effects of sanctions, we can further elevate the level of relations between the two countries,” Pezeshkian said, according to the readout.

“Despite the pressures and restrictions being imposed in an attempt to obstruct Iran’s relations with other countries, Tehran is ready to expand its cooperation with India across various fields,” he said. According to Iran, Pezeshkian also emphasised the need to strengthen communications and consultations between the two countries, calling for deepening relations and creating new areas for cooperation.

The two leaders discussed cooperation in the fields of “transportation and maritime affairs, developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, and the progress of cooperation at Chabahar Port,” the Iran readout said, adding that the two sides emphasised the importance of making use of existing capacities to expand economic and trade relations and strengthen strategic cooperation.