NEW DELHI: As the new Taliban government is taking control of Afghanistan, Iran’s newly-appointed foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahain is likely to visit India next month to discuss the situation in Kabul and also to urge New Delhi to resume oil import.
The Iranian foreign minister’s visit comes after he had a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who had attended the Ebrahim Raisi government’s swearing in ceremony in Tehran. Amirabdollahain has met the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Qatar since assuming office. During the phone call between Amirabdollahian and Jaishankar, India had sought Iran’s help in facilitating evacuation flights from Kabul.
The trip assumes significance as Tehran too has expressed its concerns over the new Taliban government, which includes several UN-sanctioned terrorists. It has stated that the interim government lacks inclusiveness. India had voiced similar concerns at the 2+2 inter-ministerial dialogue.
Apart from Afghanistan, the Iranian foreign minister is also likely to push India to resume oil imports, sources said. Since May 2019, India stopped importing oil from Tehran after the US called of the JCPOA and imposed sanctions on Iran. Sources said that Iran wants India to review the policy and resume the purchases in an effort to continue the momentum in the bilateral ties by leveraging its growing strategic ties with the Joe Biden government.
Energy trade figures high
Sources said Iran wants India to review the policy and resume the purchases in an effort to continue the momentum in the bilateral ties by leveraging its growing strategic ties with the US