India & Iran Sign 2 MoUs during Iranian Foreign Minister's Visit

India and Iran have signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) during the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Abbas Araghchi to India. Dr Abbas Araghchi was on a two-day visit to India on 7 and 8 May 2025. His visit comes against the backdrop of the Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian Armed Forces to hit terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan 

Dr. Abbas Araghchi arrived after stopping in Pakistan, where he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. Iran has offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, which India has politely declined.

Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi was in India to co-chair the 20th Joint Commission Meeting. This was Dr. Araghchi’s first visit to India after becoming the Foreign Minister of Iran in August 2024.

India and Iran are also observing the 75th year of signing the India-Iran Friendship Treaty.

20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting 

The 20th India-Iran Joint Commission meeting is a foreign minister-level meeting co-chaired by both countries' foreign ministers.

 The 20th meeting of the Joint Commission was held after 6 years, as the 19th India-Iran Joint Commission meeting was held in Tehran, Iran, in 2019. 

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi co-chaired the 20th Meeting.

They discussed bilateral issues and positively assessed progress in bilateral cooperation, including connectivity, trade and commerce, cultural and people-to-people contacts. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Issues.

Two MoUs exchanged

During the meeting, two MoUs were exchanged between the two countries.

These MoUs are as follows;

• Implementation of the Bilateral Agreement on Customs Cooperation and
• On  Medical Products Regulation.

75 Years of India-Iran Treaty of Friendship 

India and Iran are observing the 75th year of the India-Iran Friendship Treaty, which was signed on March 15, 1950. It also marked the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

India has deep historical ties with Iran, which in ancient times was called Persia. The ties between the two countries go back to the Indus Valley Civilisation times.

Iran was once a major supplier of crude petroleum oil to India. But due to the American sanctions on the country over its nuclear programme, India has stopped importing oil from Iran.

India is one of Iran's five top trading countries. It imports dry fruits, inorganic/organic chemicals, glassware, etc.

Connectivity 

India and Iran signed an MoU in 2015 to jointly cooperate on developing the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar, Iran.

India has signed a 10-year lease of the port. It will use the port to send goods to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia by passing through Pakistan.

About the Islamic Republic of Iran 

Iran is an ancient civilisation that was home to the Zoroastrian religion. 

The modern Iran lies in the Southwestern region of Asia.

In 1979, a revolution in the country overthrew the Monarchy and established an Islamic Republic.

The country‘s population is almost wholly muslim, and it is a Shia majority country.

Capital: Tehran 

Currency: Rial 

Supreme Leader:  Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei

President: Masoud Pezeshkian

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