“India and Iran share plenty of cultural commonalties, which pave the ground for the promotion of bilateral relations in all fields and we would like to establish very strong relations based on this background,” Salehi said in a joint news conference with Indian Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna in New Delhi on Thursday.
Salehi said the current Iran-India trade balance of USD 16 billion does not reflect the “existing capacities” and called for ways to increase the figure.
The Iranian foreign minister further referred to New Delhi’s increasing need for energy resources, adding, “Iran will remain a trustworthy partner for India.”
For his part, the Indian foreign minister said Tehran and New Delhi share the same interests and face similar threats.
“As an important neighbor and big trade partner for us, Iran is India’s gateway to Central Asia,” Krishna added.
Salehi arrived in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day official visit to hold talks with senior Indian officials and to officially invite the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take part in the upcoming summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran on August 26-31.
HMV/HJL/IS
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