NEW DELHI: The first India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) since the historic nuclear deal and decision to ease sanctions from Tehran discussed measures to expand economic and strategic partnership including increasing oil imports from the Persian Gulf country besides disbursement of pending oil payments, investments by Delhi in Iran's hydro-carbon sector and tried to iron out irritants to seal the contract for key Chabahar Port by next month.
Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Dr. Ali Tayyebnia, who is visiting for the bilateral Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by Foreign Miniser Sushma Swaraj, also discussed with the host the connectivity projects including International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project and rail link between Chabahar Port and Zahedan.
While Swaraj is yet to travel to Tehran this is the second high-level visit from Iran to India since nuclear deal in Delhi. Iranian Foreign Minister was here in August. Tayyebnia also met the PM. A statement from Prime Minister's Office said, "Prime Minister conveyed that India attached high importance to its relations with Iran. He recalled his fruitful meeting with President Rouhani in Ufa, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, in July 2015. Prime Minister expressed readiness on the part of India to further strengthen bilateral relations, including in the areas of trade, investment, oil and gas, connectivity, port development. "
While this statement did not give specifics there was enough hint that the issues of India's investment ($ 85 million) in Chabahar Port and Iran's oil sector, increasing the oil imports from Tehran, joint projects and INSTC were on the agenda of discussions.
At the JCM Swaraj underlined the efforts underway to enhance bilateral economic cooperation in energy, infrastructure - including shipping, ports and railways - and trade and commerce. She stressed that connectivity afforded by Indian participation in Chahbahar Port will facilitate linking Afghanistan and Central Asia with India.
Source :economictimes.indiatimes.com
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