India's Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, is scheduled for a two-day visit to Iran, commencing on Monday, to engage in discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The agenda for their talks covers a spectrum of crucial topics, with a notable focus on the evolving security situation in the Red Sea.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that the ministers will delve into bilateral, regional, and global issues during their meeting. The visit, occurring on January 14 and 15, is part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two nations.
Key aspects to be addressed include political cooperation, connectivity initiatives, and strengthening people-to-people ties. Given the heightened concerns globally over Houthi militants targeting merchant vessels in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the discussions gain added significance.
India has been actively monitoring the situation in the Red Sea, a topic that was part of a recent phone conversation between Minister Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Indian Navy has increased its deployment in response to the maritime security challenges in critical sea lanes.
The visit is also expected to touch upon enhancing regional connectivity through the Chabahar port. Situated in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province, the port is a collaborative project between India and Iran, aiming to boost connectivity and trade ties. Jaishankar and Amir-Abdollahian are likely to explore opportunities to strengthen regional trade, especially with Afghanistan.
The Chabahar port is pivotal to India's vision of creating a regional transit hub, as highlighted by Minister Jaishankar at a connectivity conference in Tashkent in 2021. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-mode transport project spanning 7,200 km and connecting India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.
This diplomatic engagement follows the Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra's visit to Tehran in November, where he co-chaired a meeting of India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani.
(With Agency Inputs)
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