India will make its first high-level political contact with Iran’s new government this week, with External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh leaving for Tehran tomorrow on a three-day visit.Singh is expected to explore ways to further consolidate partnership in the energy sector and hold talks on the nuclear issue. He will be discussing bilateral, regional and international issues with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.Also on the agenda are the proposed $7.4 billion gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan, science and technology, transit and trade facilities between India, Central Asian republics and Russia through Afghanistan.An MEA spokesperson said that Singh will call on Iranian President Mahmud Ahmedinejad and meet the new chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who had talks with Singh here on the Indo-Iranian strategic partnership on nuclear issue. Within weeks of Iran breaking the UN seals on its Isfahan plant, the IAEA set September 3 as the deadline for Iran to stop its nuclear-related work.Larijani had said Iran wanted to cooperate with IAEA and was committed to international regulations on nuclear proliferation. ‘‘We are fully committed to and bound by international regulations to the nuclear field. it is important to continue our cooperation with IAEA,’’ he had said.During his visit, Singh will convey to the Iranian leadership Centre’s desire to work closely with the new government to further implement their 2003 joint declaration for forging a strategic partnership.
