Iran, India discuss key port project

He also met with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj who raised the issue of nine Indian sailors in Iran.

Historic Iran N-deal to energize New Delhi’s ties with Tehran External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said she raised the issue of imprisonment of 9 Indians in Iranian jails on charges of smuggling. He called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday. “I requested him for waiver of $2.9 million fine imposed on them and for their early release”. Iran was India’s second largest supplier of crude just four years ago but now barely makes the top 10 among oil import sources for New Delhi.

The Indian minister also said she met the family of Sushil Kapoor, one of the nine sailors, here “and apprised them of my meeting with the foreign minister of Iran”.

“We are awaiting Iran’s proposals in road, railway, ports and petrochemical areas”, he reiterated.

Modi congratulated Iran for the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 countries and expressed confidence that it would contribute to greater peace and stability in the region.

Meanwhile, India has pledged to invest about US$ 85 million in developing the strategic port of Chabahar, located on Iran’s southeastern coast, which would provide India a sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.

India today signalled its intent to deepen cooperation with Iran in West Asia and Afghanistan while publicly emphasising trade and connectivity as the cornerstones of the relationship, desperate to pick up long-neglected ties but cautious not to alarm other regional friends.

Mr Zarif conveyed that Iran considered India its strategic partner and could not forget the support India extended to Iran during its hard times. During his meeting with PM Modi, President Rouhani had sought Indian investments of almost United States dollars eight billion in infrastructure sector in Iran. Tehran’s fresh offer for New Delhi on Chabahar Port was spelt out when Iranian Foreign Minister had a meeting with Shipping and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Sushma suggested restructuring a dialogue mechanism between the two countries “so that the focus is on energy, infrastructure and trade”, Swarup said.

“In this context, there was a discussion on Farzad B. An Indian company (OVL) had successfully discovered the field and it is our expectation that it will get the opportunity to develop it”, the spokesman said.