PM Modi, Iranian President Pezeshkian hold talks on West Asia, bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held bilateral talks in New Delhi on Friday to review the situation in West Asia and discuss ways to expand India-Iran relations, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit.

The meeting was held hours after Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital for the summit and marked his first visit to India as Iranian president. It was also the second meeting between the two leaders in less than two weeks, after they met on August 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.

West Asia tensions in focus

The talks come amid heightened tensions in West Asia following new punitive economic measures imposed by the US on Iran and disruptions to global energy supplies linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

During their earlier meeting in Bishkek, Modi had conveyed India's support for efforts to end the conflict, while Pezeshkian had urged India to use its extensive contacts with various countries to encourage a shift from war and bloodshed towards dialogue and an agreement.

In Friday's discussions, India was expected to reiterate the importance of freedom of navigation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region.

MUST READ: Modi, Putin review India-Russia ties across trade, defence, energy and space

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global petroleum flows. Disruptions to shipping through the waterway have therefore raised concerns over global oil supplies and energy security.

Focus on economic cooperation

The bilateral meeting followed the two leaders' participation in the BRICS Business Forum, where they addressed the gathering alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Pezeshkian called for stronger economic cooperation among BRICS members and urged the grouping to move from potential cooperation to practical implementation.

“The true strength of BRICS is not confined merely to the size of its members' economies; rather, it becomes more apparent when these capacities are transformed into a network of trade, investment and joint financing,” he said.

He also highlighted geopolitical uncertainty, supply-chain disruptions and the increasing use of economic instruments for political pressure as challenges facing the global economy.

Before leaving Tehran, Pezeshkian had said BRICS should work towards confronting unilateralism and called for new approaches to strengthen economic resilience.

ALSO READ: Xi-Modi meeting: India-China thaw faces hurdles over border, trade and Pakistan

India-Iran ties

The Ministry of External Affairs said India and Iran share longstanding civilisational ties as well as strong cultural and people-to-people connections.

At their August 31 meeting, Modi had reiterated India's readiness to cooperate closely with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and the SCO, and expressed India's resolve to “expand and diversify” bilateral trade channels.

Pezeshkian had also highlighted the scope for expanding cooperation in areas of common interest.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The grouping comprises 11 countries—Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

India's BRICS chairship comes amid geopolitical uncertainty, economic fragmentation and technological disruption, with New Delhi seeking to translate the expanded grouping into greater cooperation on development, trade, finance, energy, technology and global governance.

DO READ: BRICS must remove top 10 trade barriers, secure sea routes for seamless trade, says PM Modi