Iran's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ravanchi to visit India for discussing trade, connectivity, security

New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): Iran's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Takht Ravanchi is set to visit India on Thursday and discuss key issues between the two countries such as falling trade volumes. Other items on the agenda are increasing bilateral trade in both energy and non-energy sectors, improving connectivity and tourism, regional and international security, and the completion of Chabahar Port.
On condition of anonymity, a senior Iranian official told reporters here, "We are extended neighbors and there is a lot of commonality, we can complement each other on many issues including international and regional security".

"We used to have good economic ties but they are not same after sanctions, nevertheless there are opportunities to have better traditional energy trade, there are sanctions on Iranian oil however I still lot of interest, Indian refineries which are so used to traditional Iranian oil had to adjust, India is buying Russian oil, however circumstances of sanctions on Iran and India are different," the senior official added.
The Iranian senior official said that Iran looks ahead to enhance ties with India in non-energy sectors like agriculture and tourism. He also said that the Indian government should be more forthcoming in issuing visas to Iranian tourists, as Iranians visit other neighboring countries and Europe for vacations and have not been coming to India.

"Connectivity is one issue like Chahbahar port has brought India and Iran closer, It is a meeting point of Iran, central Asia and Europe, it is a very strategic route, we have been doing good things for development of Chahbahar," the senior official said.
Iran is also very keen to increase cooperation on Chahbahar port which is gateway to central Asia and Europe
Speaking about the proposal of world's longest undersea tunnel with Qatar, which would connect Iran's southern port city of Dayyer to Qatar, and play a strategic role, amid the background of the INSTC corridor's construction underway, the Iranian official clarified that the Qatar undersea tunnel is "not competing with other regional corridors but is to improve connectivity".
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is an important initiative taken by India, Russia and Iran by signing an Inter-Governmental Agreement on 12th September 2000, to enhance trade and transport connectivity among countries along its route, the Ministry of External Affairs had answered during a Lok Sabha session earlier.
The INSTC is a multi-modal, cost and time effective from India to Northern and Western Europe. It has the potential to enhance India's connectivity with Central Asia and Eurasian Region and vice versa, taking into account the geo-strategic and economic importance of all the involved countries, the MEA said.
Iran also believe that there should be strong cooperation to fight the menace of terrorism. Senior Iranian official, while speaking to media, said that Iran has a fragile neighbourhood; with the developments happening in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, nobody can predict that what will happen to the future of West Asia.
The question of Palestine remains the concerning issue for Iran. Commenting on the issue, the official said, "People of Palestine should have their right to self-determination and should be allowed to decide their own future". He added that patience is running out on the level of atrocities being committed by Israel.
On the issue of China, the Iranian official said that Tehran welcomes China's increased investments and presence in the region. He indicated Iran and Saudi Arabia are on same page when it comes to increased role of China in the region. (ANI)