India assures humanitarian aid to Palestine

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 27

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra reassured Iranian FM Amir-Abdollahian of New Delhi’s dedication to providing ongoing humanitarian aid to Palestine.

The assurance came during Kwatra’s meeting with several high level officials in Tehran, including Amir-Abdollahian to discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties, boost connectivity through the Chabahar port, and the current situation in West Asia due to the Hamas-Israel conflict, said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a X post.

Kwatra emphasised Iran’s significance in the West Asian region during the meeting in Tehran, expressing commitment to expanding economic ties in agriculture, fisheries, and medicine. While condemning Hamas’s attack on Israel, India advocated direct dialogue for a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel, stated Iranian media.

India and Iran are collaborating in several spheres, including Armenia, the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chabahar port while the energy relationship is in a limbo due to fear of secondary US sanctions on New Delhi.

Iran also plays a major player in the Hamas-Israel conflict as it is close to all the militias striking Israeli and US military targets as well as hijacking ships in the Red Sea channel. Although India’s position is at odds with that of Iran, its diplomats are among the most conversant with the course of the conflict. Amir-Abdollahian had met the Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh only on Thursday in Doha, in a string of high-level contacts between the Iranian leadership and chiefs of militant organisations engaged in hostilities with Israel.

Kwatra also met Iran’s deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy Mehdi Safari. India is keen to know the status of the missing link in INSTC. The Indian side has been pessimistic about the construction of the Rasht-Astara section of the railway, but Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said after meeting Russian Presidential aide Igor Levitin on Tuesday that all clearances have been given for the construction of the 160-km link and Tehran now expects Moscow to help out. This completion will provide a seamless sea-train link for India to Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Bagchi said the discussions focused on concretising India’s engagement in development of the Chabahar port as a connectivity project.

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