Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that India wants to “expand and diversify” its trade basket with Iran, while calling for the West Asia conflict to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Modi met Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties as well as the evolving situation in West Asia.
“Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors,” Modi said in a post on social media.
“We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come. We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in the region. India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace,” he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Modi expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in West Asia and reiterated India's consistent position that disputes in the region should be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.
The prime minister also called for continued efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the region and stressed the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and commerce.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers must not be harmed under any circumstances,” the MEA said.
Modi also reaffirmed India's willingness to cooperate closely with Iran through multilateral platforms, including BRICS and the SCO. He conveyed that he looked forward to welcoming Pezeshkian to India for the upcoming BRICS Summit.
According to an Iranian readout of the meeting, Pezeshkian thanked India for its support and cooperation with Iran during the recent war and called for greater diplomatic efforts to restore peace and security in the region.
Pezeshkian said his administration had sought to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations, but accused the US of choosing “the path of war, insecurity and imposing their will through force” instead of diplomatic mechanisms.
He urged Modi to use India's extensive contacts with countries in the region and beyond to encourage them to move away from conflict and return to dialogue and negotiations.
Pezeshkian also highlighted the longstanding historical and cultural ties between India and Iran, as well as India's growing role in regional and global affairs.
“We believe that the solution to the issues we face lies in dialogue and cooperation, and that all available capacities must be mobilised to prevent the spread of insecurity and conflict,” he said.
Separately, Modi met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
Modi said India and Armenia were set to deepen cooperation in areas including defence, information technology, space, education and pharmaceuticals, while also strengthening trade and investment ties.