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| File photos of Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra (right) and Iran’s deputy minister of political affairs Ali Bagheri Kani (left) (Photo: Twitter/Commons) |
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Tuesday spoke on phone with Iran’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Dr Ali Bagheri Kani and discussed various elements of bilateral relations including progress on the Chabahar Port.
The two sides also discussed international and regional issues including Afghanistan.
“The two sides discussed various elements of bilateral relations including progress on the Chabahar Port. Foreign Secretary underscored India’s commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Iran in addressing shared opportunities and challenges,” a Ministry of External Affairs release said.
External Ministry Affairs Minister Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet that the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations and reviewed progress on Chabahar Port.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian had paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month during his official visit to the country.
The Prime Minister had warmly recalled the long-standing civilizational and cultural links between India and Iran. The two leaders had discussed ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives.
During the visit, Hossein Amir Abdollahian also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and both sides acknowledged the significance of bilateral cooperation in the field of regional connectivity.
They reviewed the progress made at the Shahid Beheshti terminal, Chabahar port.
India and Iran agreed that the Chabahar Port has provided much needed sea-access to landlocked Afghanistan and has also emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region, including for Central Asia.
They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to cooperate on the development of Chabahar Port and noted that the teams from both countries will be meeting soon to address operational aspects.
