Jaishankar to visit Iran on Jan 14-15 amid Houthi attacks, Israel-Hamas war: What's on agenda, why it's significant
Jaishankar will meet Foreign Minister of Iran, HE Dr Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. "Political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda," the statement by the ministry added. Jaishankar and Amir-Abdollahian are also likely to discuss boosting regional connectivity through the Chabahar Port.
The port is located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast. It is being developed by India and Iran to boost connectivity and trade ties, news agency PTI reported. ALSO READ: ‘Normal relations with China impossible if…’: EAM S Jaishankar on India-China ties At a connectivity conference in Tashkent in 2021, Jaishankar had reportedly projected the Chabahar Port as a key regional transit hub, including to Afghanistan.
The Chabahar Port is also seen as a key hub for the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project, which is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. Besides, senior officials told Bloomberg Jaishankar is expected to discuss the growing concerns over the escalating conflict in the Red Sea and the war between Israel and Hamas. ALSO READ: 'World is getting ready for us': EAM S Jaishankar on India's rising geopolitical clout Jaishankar’s decision to visit Tehran came soon after he spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken over the Iran-backed Houthi crisis.
"Our conversation focused on maritime security challenges, especially the Red Sea region. Appreciated his insights on ongoing situation in West Asia, including Gaza. Exchanged
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