Iran’s FM Starts India Visit
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif left Tehran for New Delhi Wednesday night for talks with Indian officials.
Zarif’s formal visit comes at the invitation of India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.
During his two-day visit, the Iranian top diplomat is set to meet with high-ranking Indian officials to discuss bilateral relations and major regional and international issues.
Zarif will also clarify the Iranian government’s foreign policy approach in his meetings in New Delhi.
Earlier this month, Zarif had a meeting with Indian premier’s National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon during which he underlined the importance of bilateral relations between Tehran and New Delhi.
India is among Asia’s major importers of energy and relies on Iran to meet a portion of its energy demand.
New Delhi has significantly increased its oil imports from Iran following the recent partial suspension of sanctions on the Islamic Republic based on a six-month deal signed in November between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, France, Britain and China plus Germany) on Tehran’s nuclear program.
India’s imports from Iran more than doubled in January, surging to 412,000 barrels per day (bpd), up from 189,100 bpd in December.
