Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Iran Prez backs India’s role in Afghan peace process
NEW DELHI: Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday backed India’s role in the establishment of peace and security in Afghanistan and highlighted the need for a joint plan to elevate relations between Tehran and New Delhi.
Raisi, who was formally sworn in on Thursday, made the remarks during a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who represented India at the inauguration. Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting that there is “convergence” between the two sides on regional interests.
Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Tehran coincided with India walking a diplomatic tightrope in its current role as president of the UN Security Council following demands from Britain and the US for a discussion on a deadly tanker attack off the coast of Oman that has been blamed on Iran. At his meeting with Jaishankar, Raisi stressed the importance of close cooperation and coordination between India and Iran in developing regional peace and stability, according to a statement from the Iranian president’s office.
“Iran and India can play a constructive and useful role in ensuring security in the region, especially Afghanistan, and Tehran welcomes New Delhi’s role in the establishment of security in Afghanistan,” Raisi said.
The fate of Afghanistan, Raisi said, “must be decided by the Afghans themselves”.
He contended that “if the Americans do not sabotage the situation, this issue will be resolved quickly”. Iran attaches “special importance” to extensive relations with India, and there is a need for a “joint cooperation programme” to elevate bilateral ties, Raisi said.
“From today on, we should take new and distinct steps in the development of bilateral, regional and international relations with a new perspective,” he said. “By moving in the direction of a joint cooperation programme, we can take steps to bring about different conditions at the level of relations between the two countries in the interests of the two nations,” he added.
Raisi said the Iranian government will pursue a policy of developing ties with neighbouring countries and the region, especially India. “There are various sectors, especially in the economic and commercial fields, as well as new technologies, that we should use to promote the level of our relations,” he added.
Jaishankar tweeted that he had a “warm meeting” with Raisi, during which he conveyed the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “His commitment to strengthening our bilateral relationship was manifest. So too was the convergence in our regional interests,” he added.