Iran ready to work wIth IndIa: zarIf
Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid also made it clear that India has told the EU that Iran’s intentions are ‘pure’.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Dr Javad Zarif, on his maiden visit to New Delhi, has backed stronger relations between India and Iran. Dr Zarif’s visit got strong backing from New Delhi, as Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid revealed that India has told the European Union that Tehran’s intentions were “pure,” during a lecture attended by both ministers in the capital.
“We have worked with India well and are good friends with each other,” Zarif later told The Sunday Guardian.
“We can work with India on many areas such as infrastructure projects, energy projects and so on. India and Iran should continue to work together in all fields.”
Dr Zarif, addressing an au- dience of around 300, also talked at length on various topics such as the country’s nuclear programme, economic sanctions, his negotiation strategy with the P5+1 and so on.
“Security is a globalised common commodity,” he said in his speech. “Sometimes this may sound idealistic, but it’s in-fact very realistic. If we were to win at the expense of others, we will all end up as losers. Iran wanted a nuclear programme not to gain weapons, but to stand on its feet.”
Zarif also talked about Afghanistan, where Nato troop withdrawals later this year has left both Tehran and New Delhi worried with prospects of the country falling back into the hands of the Taliban and other extremist groups. He also addressed the issue of Pakistan, say- ing that the government in Islamabad is not involved in terrorist activities, but other players are and have used Pakistani territory for such acts.
Iran and India, although sharing deep strategic rela- tions, also have their fair share of issues. Iran has more than Rs 20,000 cr in oil payments from India
“Security is a globalised common commodity. Sometimes this may sound idealistic, but it’s in-fact very realistic. If we were to win at the expense of others, we will all end up as losers. Iran wanted a nuclear programme not to gain weapons, but to stand on its feet.”
stuck in a UCO Bank branch account in Kolkata. Tehran has tried to access these funds via various alternatives such as asking India to route transfers through a third party system or offering to open Iranian bank branches in New Delhi. India had refused both these options pointing towards a mix of being signatory to international financial treaties and security concerns. Previously, India was also left high and dry after Tehran pulled out of a sovereign $25 billion natural gas deal at the last minute.
Zarif’s visit is also expected to further development of the Chabahar Port on fast track, where India has heavily invested. He said that Iran hoped the project’s development and implementation to allow exports can happen soon. Prior to his visit, the Indian National Security Advisor, Shiv Shankar Menon, had pulled up officials for dragging their feet on various projects in Iran. Delhi also looks at Chabahar Port as a regional counterbalance to Pakistan’s Gwadar port, which is funded by China.
According to reports India is also going to discuss the gas pipeline project with. Iran holds the world’s fourth largest reserves of hydrocarbons, majority of which is natural gas, a commodity which is gaining demand in the Indian economy. India imports around 26% of its natural gas requirements, largely from Qatar.
Diplomatic traffic from West Asia has seen healthy exchange over the past one month. After high level dignitaries from Kuwait and Bahrain, the Saudi Prince, Foreign Minister of Iran and the Foreign Minister of Oman have visited Delhi within hours of each other, showing the growing importance of India in the region.