Kazan, Russia:
As tensions in West Asia escalated significantly following Israel and Iran’s endless threats of retaliation against each other, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Iranian President Masoud Pizshakyan in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan. met with
India has expressed “deep concern” over the current situation in West Asia and has called for “dialogue and diplomacy” to defuse tensions in the so-called Middle East region.
The meeting between the two leaders came amid the year-long Israel-Hamas war and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, and Tel Aviv vowing a massive retaliation after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel.
India’s effort for peace
Iranian President Masoud Pizshakyan stressed the need for peace in the region and “the role that New Delhi can play in de-escalating the Middle East crisis” given its good relations with all parties involved.
India, which has friendly relations with almost all countries, finds itself in a unique position to mediate between Israel and Iran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu three weeks ago and today met the Iranian president.
This is not the only case where New Delhi is trying to broker peace between the conflicting parties. PM Modi is also trying to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, which has been at war since 2022. Here too, PM Modi enjoys strong ties with both Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Zelenskyi.
PM Modi has visited Russia twice in three months and also visited Ukraine during this period. He reportedly sent a “peace plan” to President Putin last month when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met the Russian president in Moscow.
Chabahar Port and Inst Corridor
During the meeting, PM Modi and President Pizshakyan also discussed India-Iran bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them. Among several key areas of cooperation, the two leaders discussed strategic projects such as the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor or INSTC.
After the meeting, PM Modi shared a post on social media platform X, in which he wrote, “Had a very good meeting with President of Iran Mr. Massoud Pezhashkian, we reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. Ways to deepen relationships in future sectors.” He also shared the same post in Farsi.
What else was discussed?
The Ministry of External Affairs gave more details about what the two leaders discussed, as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a press briefing in which he said that Prime Minister Modi and President Pizshakyan had “fruitful discussions”. “The two leaders discussed the situation in West Asia. Prime Minister Modi expressed his deep concern over the escalating conflict and called for dialogue and diplomacy to protect civilians and prevent harm to civilians,” he added. Emphasized the need for action.
“President Pizshakyan stressed the need for peace and harmony in the region and the role India can play in de-escalating the conflict given its good relations with all parties involved,” Mr Masri added.
The foreign secretary added that PM Modi congratulated President Pyzhashkiyan on his election victory and also welcomed Iran to the BRICS forum, which it has formally joined since this year.
Speaking about the centuries-old relationship between the two countries, the foreign secretary said, “Both leaders emphasized the shared historical and cultural ties between the two countries and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation.”
“Discussions focused on key areas of cooperation, particularly the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) which are important for enhancing regional connectivity and economic partnership,” Mr Misri said.
Reconstruction of Afghanistan
In its statement about the bilateral talks, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the two leaders mentioned that “the signing of the Chabahar Port long-term agreement is an important milestone in bilateral relations”.
It added that the two leaders reiterated the importance of rebuilding and rebuilding Afghanistan and increasing trade and economic ties with Central Asia.
India’s support for Iran
President Pyzheshkian acknowledged India’s role in Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization or SCO and BRICS forums. “They agreed to continue their cooperation in various international forums,” the foreign secretary said in a press briefing.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Iranian President Pizshakyan to visit India as soon as possible,” the External Affairs Ministry said, adding that “President Pizshakyan has accepted the invitation.”
It was their first meeting since Mr. Pizshakyan became Iran’s president in July. He replaced President Ibrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
(Translation of Tags)Narendra Modi
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