18 Jun India and Iran Relations
India and Iran Relations – Today Current Affairs
During delegation-level meetings recently, India and Iran discussed boosting bilateral relations and strategic issues.
Today Current Affairs
Historical context:
The relationship between India and Iran has spanned millennia and has been distinguished by profound contacts.The two countries shared a border until 1947, and their languages, cultures, and traditions have a lot in common.
Relationships between politicians : The Hindu Analysis
On March 15, 1950, India and Iran signed a friendship treaty.In 2001, Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Tehran and signed the “Tehran Declaration,” which outlined areas where the two governments could cooperate.
It recognised then-Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s concept of a “conversation among civilisations” as a model of international relations founded on values of tolerance, pluralism, and variety respect.Both sides signed “The New Delhi Declaration” in 2003, which outlined India and Iran’s
Strategic alliance objective : The Hindu Analysis
Security
On security issues, India and Iran consult with one another.At the level of National Security Advisors and Deputy National Security Advisors, there are regular bilateral meetings.
Relationships Economic and Commercial : The Hindu Analysis
India’s trade connections with Iran have traditionally been dominated by Indian crude oil imports from Iran.In 2019-20, bilateral trade was $4.77 billion, down 71.99 percent from $17.03 billion in 2018-19.
Rice, tea, sugar, soya, medicines/pharmaceuticals, man-made staple fibres, electrical machinery, and other items are among India’s key exports to Iran.Inorganic/organic chemicals, fertilisers, cement clinkers, fruits and nuts, leather, and other items are all major imports from Iran.
Connectivity : The Hindu Analysis
The deal for the Shahid Beheshti port of Chabahar, which includes an investment of $85 million for port equipment, was signed during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016.The arrangement also includes the provision of a line of credit in the amount of USD 150 million for the port’s development.
Aid to the Humanitarian Assistance : The Hindu Analysis
India has also stepped in to assist Iran in the aftermath of natural catastrophes and health crises.During the COVID-19 crisis in April 2020, India delivered supplies to Iran, including PPE kits and PCR machines.
Cultural Relations : The Hindu Analysis
In 2013, an Indian Cultural Centre was established in Tehran.In 2018, the Cultural Centre was renamed the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), and in 2019, it was given its own space.In 2018, 2019, and 2020, the International Day of Yoga will be held.
Sri Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday was also commemorated. Yoga and Hindi sessions are held on a regular basis at the centre.
Contacts between people : The Hindu Analysis
Both countries have a strong commitment to promoting and facilitating people-to-people interactions. Every year, thousands of Indian pilgrims travel to the Shia pilgrimage circuit in Iran (Qom, Mashhad, Hamedan) and Iraq (Najaf and Karbala).
Latest Update : The Hindu Analysis
India and Iran want to portray themselves as independent strategic actors committed to building a new multipolar order in their common Eurasian neighbourhood as well as globally.
Despite the challenges created by decades of US sanctions, Iran has continued to work on the multimodal International North-South Transport Corridor with India, Russia, and a few other Eurasian countries (INSTC).
Chabahar’s integration into the 13-nation INSTC is being pushed by India.
The two countries agreed to step up their efforts to develop a railway line connecting Rasht, Iran’s Caspian port, and Astara, on the Iran-Azerbaijan border.The 130-kilometer route will link Iran’s, Azerbaijan’s, and Russia’s railway networks.
Despite a number of geopolitical hurdles, the activation of an alternative Caspian Sea route says volumes about Iran, India, and Russia’s hopeful perspective on this corridor.
Finally, against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and Western sanctions, Iran has been trying to persuade New Delhi to resume crude oil purchases that were halted in 2019 due to US sanctions threats.
India’s concerns
Sanctions by the United States : The Hindu Analysis
Following Iran’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, the US put sanctions on the country, which may have effectively devastated India-Iran commerce, particularly India’s energy imports from Iran.
Anti-Iran alliance : The Hindu Analysis
New Delhi’s surprise decision to join the Israel-India-UAE-US group, characterised as a “anti-Iran” coalition, and accusations of Iranian assistance for Yemeni Houthis behind the drone strike on a UAE oil complex, in which an Indian was killed, looked to have strained relations.
Stakes in terms of strategy : The Hindu Analysis
Iran also serves as India’s entrance point for trade with Central Asian countries, where India’s geographic reach is limited.India has been concerned about the strategic stakes of China’s growing influence in Iran.India’s access to the Chabahar port could be strategically crucial.
India may face governance and energy security concerns as a result of China’s growing connections with oil producers.
Conclusions and Way Forward : The Hindu Analysis
India voted no during the recent IAEA vote on the US and its allies’ resolution to punish Iran.This is consistent with its policy of settling conflicts through discussion.India’s commercial connections with Iran could be boosted if the nuclear deal is resurrected.India and Iran must repair ties that have been harmed by recent global events.
India must strive to maintain political engagement with Iran in order to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s sensitivities, compulsions, and shared interests.
To achieve energy security, India must take the lead in establishing institutional structures with Iran and Afghanistan, as well as pursue the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
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Plutus IAS Daily Current Affairs Eng Med 18th June
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