Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is on a three-day visit to India

Acknowledging the significance of bilateral cooperation in the field of regional connectivity, India and Iran on Wednesday reviewed the progress made at the Shahid Beheshti terminal, Chabahar Port.

This was among the issues discussed during delegation level talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi. This is the Iranian Foreign Minister's first visit to India since assuming office in August last year.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), they agreed that the Chabahar Port has provided much needed sea-access to landlocked Afghanistan and has also emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region, including for Central Asia.

"They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to cooperate on the development of Chabahar Port. Teams from both countries will be meeting soon to address operational aspects," the MEA added.

During the talks, the two Ministers discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political, cultural and people to people ties. The two Ministers also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and its repurcussions, the MEA said.

According to the MEA, Jaishankar appreciated the role of Iran in facilitating India’s medical assistance to Afghanistan, including supply of Covid-19 vaccines to Afghan nationals residing in Iran.

The Ministers discussed international and regional issues, including Afghanistan and the sides reaffirmed the importance of providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and reiterated the need for a representative and inclusive political system in support of a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan.

Iran's Foreign Minister also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Welcoming him, Prime Minister Modi warmly recalled the long-standing civilizational and cultural links between India and Iran.

"The two leaders discussed ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives. Prime Minister stressed that both countries should work to accelerate exchanges in the post-COVID era," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

He requested Iran's Foreign Minister to also transmit his greetings to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and said that he looked forward to meeting him at an early date.