Indian and Iranian Foreign Ministers Meet in Muscat; Araghchi: Iran and India Determined to Cooperate on Chabahar Port

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: The Indian Foreign Minister announced a meeting with his Iranian counterpart and discussions on bilateral relations.

 

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar announced in a message on his page on the X social network that he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi this afternoon (Sunday).

 

He described the meeting with Araghchi as "good" and said that they discussed bilateral relations and regional developments.

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, who traveled to Muscat to participate in the Indian Ocean Conference, said today in an interview with the Indian TV network Vion in response to a question about the state of India-Iran relations: Iran and India have very good historical relations. As two Asian civilizations, we have always been in touch with each other and we will continue to do so. We attach great importance to our relations with India. In the past, there was a lot of trade between Iran and India. There have been ups and downs, but there is a strong will between the two sides to strengthen relations and we will continue to do so.

 

Araghchi added: The problems have arisen not because of Iran and India, but because of third parties; we have always tried to creatively resolve these problems and see how India and Iran can benefit from good relations. This time, the conditions are more difficult, but with the determination that exists between the two sides, we will overcome these problems, especially in the Indian Ocean region.

 

In an interview with India's Vion News, the Iranian Foreign Minister said: "Trade cooperation between the two countries is ongoing, and although there have always been ups and downs, both sides are determined to continue the cooperation." He added: "We have a 10-year agreement with India regarding Chabahar Port. We are aware that the Indians are consulting with the Americans about the cancellation of the exemption for this port." The Iranian Foreign Minister stated in an interview with the Indian network on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Summit in Oman that the problems in Iran-India relations are not related to the two countries, but are due to third parties. Mr. Araghchi clarified: "We have a 10-year agreement with India on Chabahar Port. We know that questions have been raised by a third party, we know that the Indians are consulting with the Americans on this matter, so we will leave the decision-making to our friends."