Iranian FM’s India Visit at Sensitive Juncture
By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer
Though neither country has yet accepted Tehran’s mediation offer in the escalating crisis in the Subcontinent following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that led to India’s missile barrage on what it called terrorist bases in Pakistan, Iranian foreign minister’s visit to New Delhi– after having visited Islamabad a couple of days ago – comes at a sensitive juncture.
Seyyed Abbas Araqchi’s pre-planned visit, the first to India as foreign minister, is to co-chair the 20th Iran-India Joint Commission.
It is not specific to the clouds of war gathering on the Subcontinent’s skies and is on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Iran-India Friendship Treaty.
Araqchi will hold talks on wide-ranging bilateral issues with his Indian counterpart Subramanium Jaishankar that will also include the necessity of firmly confronting terrorism while avoiding wars that are detrimental to the civilian population and to economic development.
The Islamic of Iran’s principled stance is to avoid the use of force in intergovernmental relations, and believes diplomacy is capable of defusing tensions.
Tehran enjoys excellent relations with both New Delhi and Islamabad; hence it views military escalation between the two countries as a matter of great concern.
Hopefully, the two sides would take steps toward de-escalation and prevent further deterioration by exercising restraint, especially since outside forces, particularly the illegal Zionist entity, always tries to fish in troubled waters.
Iran as the prime victim of terrorism also faces terrorist attacks from across its eastern borders and strongly denounces the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22.
Araqchi’s trip to India follows his one-day visit last Monday to neighboring Pakistan with which he discussed a wide range of bilateral issues including need to suppress cross-border terrorism.
World powers, including the US and Russia, as well as the UN, while condemning terrorism, have called on both the nuclear-armed rivals of the Subcontinent to avoid military measures.
If the voice of reason is heeded our neighbourhood has tremendous potential to cooperate and collaborate in developmental projects, such as the joint Iran-India Chabahar project.