Abdollahian’s Planned Visit to New Delhi: Analysing Iran’s Role in India’s Aspirations
Posted on : March 2, 2022Author : Sagnik Sarkar
After a planned trip to India in November 2021 could not go forward, there were hopes that the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian would finally be visiting the country on the 31st of January to meet his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, for the first time since the former took office. While this much anticipated bilateral meeting could not go forward yet again due to the Indian Minister of External Affairs getting affected with Covid-19, this planned visit sheds a lot of light on what is in line for the future with respect to Indo-Iranian ties, highlighting the significant role that the Islamic Republic would play with regards to India’s foreign policy aspirations in the recent times.
Indeed, in this planned visit, there were expectations that a lot of important issues would be discussed between the two parties, ranging from the situation in Afghanistan and Western Asia, as well as regional connectivity. It was believed that the urgent need of providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan would be a top agenda, besides the requirement to boost the development of Iran’s Chabahar port, which India is keen to use in order to develop connectivity with Central Asia.
Iran, India, and Afghanistan had entered into a trilateral agreement in 2016 for the usage of the port. This would help connect the landlocked Afghanistan to the seas, thereby developing a transit route to Afghanistan and further on to Central Asia. Later, Uzbekistan tied up with India and Iran, thus forming a trilateral for the use of this strategically important port, and it was believed that Afghanistan would soon join in to make it a quadrilateral.
But the formation of the Taliban government in Afghanistan has put a lot of issues under question. Ever since the takeover took place, both Iran and India have regularly been in contact. Tehran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran had also visited India in November to be a part of the Delhi regional security dialogue on Afghanistan. Tehran has already agreed in the transit of Indian consignment of necessities such as wheat to Afghanistan after their efforts of providing humanitarian aid were repeatedly facing hurdles from Pakistan.
But it is also concerningly believed that under Pakistan’s influence, the Taliban government would try to limit India’s access to this port. India considers this port to be extremely important to bolster connectivity with Central Asia, which is the reason why it has kept on putting so much interest in it. At Chabahar, India is constructing the first phase of the Shahid Beheshti Port. The Chabahar port has handled more than 8200 TEUs and 1.28 million tons of bulk cargo since it opened in December 2018. Indeed, on Chabahar lies India’s fate of ‘acting west’ now. And this is the very reason why, if the Foreign Ministers’ meeting had taken place as scheduled, the issue of India’s desire for the optimum usage of Chabahar was bound to be tabled. It must be kept in mind that this meet would happen closely after the end of the first India-Central Asia summit. It can surely be said that India has boosted up its desire to Act West as well, now after the Acting East.
Another important development that could have been was regarding a potential bilateral trade agreement between the two nations. According to The Economic Times, India is eager to take forward the idea of International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), for connectivity to Russia via Iran. India, Iran, and Russia have strategies planned to include Chabahar into the INSTC, which would empower Central Asian States to access the Indian Ocean Region without any hassles.
Other issues that could have been discussed in the meet would be regarding the recent worrisome developments in the Gulf, which India fears, has the potential to make oil prices soaring high, provided the conflict dawdles and spreads. India would thus like to strike a balance between Iran and other key players in West Asia, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, especially in the wake of recent drone and missile attacks being carried out by the Houthi rebels of Yemen, who are vehemently backed by Iran. Two Indians succumbed recently to a similar happening at the UAE, and there are reports of seven Indian crew members of a merchant ship being captivated by the Houthis. The advances may exacerbate differences between diverse actors in the region, necessitating India’s contribution of all of its experience in balancing its approach, which has been praised by all of the region’s states. India has a lot of goodwill in the Arab world.
Perhaps Iran’s inclusion into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) could further strengthen its ties with India. Regarding Afghanistan, both the countries have stressed on the requirement of an inclusive regime in power, that includes members of all ethnic communities. Iran, as a neighbor with centuries of cultural and political clout in Afghanistan, does not wish to be second best to Pakistan. It wants to ensure that Hazaras — Shias who make up 10% of Afghanistan’s population – are represented in Kabul’s political structure.
Had he been in New Delhi, Abdollahian would have also likely discussed the Iran’s nuclear puzzle. Despite continuing disputes, Iran and the US have conducted indirect negotiations on the matter for nearly two months in the hopes of reaching an agreement. Last week, US and European allies indicated there was only a few weeks left to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, often known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran is also in direct talks on the nuclear problem with the “P4+1,” or Germany, France, China, the United Kingdom, and Russia, who are all permanent members of the UN Security Council. India has continuously advocated for a peaceful solution to the conflict.
In conclusion, Abdollahian’s visit to India would really be crucial in every way whatsoever, and it is unfortunate that it could not take place. But this does not hinder the progress being made by both the nations to strengthen their relationship further. The then Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited the country a few years ago, a significant step in forging closer ties than ever before. And now, Iran’s top diplomat is carrying the baton forward. Ever since he took office, he has had several interactions with his Indian counterpart, meeting him on two occasions during the latter’s visit to Tehran. It was over a phone conversation between the two that Iran agreed to Indian transit humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. India-Iran relations span millennia, noticeable by meaningful interactions. Both South Asia and the Persian Gulf have enjoyed vivid cultural, linguistic, commercial, energy and people-to-people links since times immemorial. And now, perhaps Abdollahian’s Republic Day greetings to India prove what both these countries seek to achieve in the times to come. Surely, New Delhi would eagerly be waiting to host him very soon to take their mutual interests further.
Sagnik Sarkar
The author had interned at Asia in Global Affairs
References: –
[1]Embassy of India, Tehran, “India-Iran Relations,” August 2020, Retrieved from Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
Microsoft Word – 6. MEA Website India-Iran bilateral – update till Aug 2020 .docx
[2] Laskar, Rezaul H., “Iran’s foreign minister to visit India next week”, The Hindustan Times, January 27, 2022
Iran’s foreign minister to visit India next week | Latest News India – Hindustan Times
[3]Roy Chaudhary, Dipanjan, “Iranian Foreign Minister to visit next week amid unrest in Gulf”, The Economic Times, January 26, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/iranian-foreign-minister-to-visit-next-week-amid-unrest-in-gulf/articleshow/89124700.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
[4]Sibal, Sidhant, “Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to be in India on Monday,” January 26, 2022
[5]”Amir Abdollahian visit to India postponed,” The Tehran Times, January 28, 2021
Amir Abdollahian visit to India postponed – Tehran Times
[6] Nagapushpa, Devendra, “Iranian President Rouhani’s Visit to India: An Analysis,” Indian Defence Review, March 18, 2018
Iranian President Rouhani’s Visit to India: An Analysis (indiandefencereview.com)
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