Aiming to boost the bilateral ties between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Iran's President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on sidelines of the 18th BRICS at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
This was their second meeting in less than two weeks. Previously, the prime minister had met Pezeshkian in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek on sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during which he discussed Iran's conflict with the United States (US) and reiterated that India supports all efforts in restoring peace in the Middle East.
During their Friday's meeting, PM Modi thanked Pezeshkian for participating in the BRICS Summit despite the "challenging circumstances" that Iran was facing. He also noted the potential for BRICS in building the spirit of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries in the Global South.
Discussing the situation in West Asia, PM Modi underscored the need for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region, safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers.
"From Bishkek to Delhi, the productive discussions continue. Happy to have met Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran. This visit is more special because it is his first visit to India. We talked about the India-Iran friendship," said PM Modi in an X post.
"We believe that we should move forward with a long-term and win-win strategy. The prevailing situation in the region was also discussed. India remains steadfast in its commitment to the pursuit of enduring peace," he added.
India has been in consistent touch with the Iranian leadership since the beginning of the US-Iran war earlier this year, with PM Modi calling for dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the conflict in the region.
Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the conflicted, and maintained that it wants peace in the region. This was reiterated by Pezeshkian during his address at the BRICS Business Forum earlier in the day when he also called for a stronger shift toward local currencies in bloc's trade.
In his address, the Iranian president said Tehran is a key link in BRICS energy, food and transport supply chains because of its geographical location. Criticising the "extensive sanctions" imposed on Iran by West, Pezeshkian said economic security cannot be separated from national and regional security.
"The question is, what is BRICS' response to these challenges? We believe that 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, that is, a transition from potential cooperation to operational one," he said.
"Whenever the trade, energy, infrastructure, or financial system of a country comes under political or military pressure, its effect extends beyond that country's borders and can affect regional stability and even the global one," he underlined.
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