2 min readNew DelhiAug 15, 2015 04:17 AM IST
First published on: Aug 15, 2015 at 04:17 AM IST
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Hyderabad Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. (Source: Express photo by Renuka Puri)
Chabahar port, Indian prisoners in Iran and economic cooperation in the aftermath of the Iran nuclear deal figured in Iran-India talks Friday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javed Zarif met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here. The two sides discussed regional security, connectivity, oil, investments and infrastructure as some sectors for mutual cooperation, especially in the light of the rise of the IS.
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Calling India a strategic partner, Zarif said his country “cannot forget the support India extended to Iran during difficult times”. He added that the two sides had agreed to cooperate on the development of Chabahar port. The port will provide India access to landlocked Afghanistan via sea route, bypassing Pakistan. The minister also discussed issues regarding the port with Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Zarif added that in light of the Iran nuclear deal, his country looked forward to working closely with India.
Expressing concern over the developments in Iraq, Syria and the spread of IS to Afghanistan, Zarif called for a grouping of countries to deal with resultant political issues. Calling IS a “common threat”, he said that the days of ensuring security at the cost of making other nations insecure were over.
After her meeting with Zarif, Swaraj tweeted, “I had a good meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iran. I raised the issue of nine Indian sailors detained in Iran. I requested him for waiver of $2.9 million fine imposed on them and for their early release.”
Zarif expressed hope that a “humanitarian case” would be made for prisoners in both the countries.
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Hyderabad Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. (Source: Express photo by Renuka Puri)
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