New Delhi | Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital on Friday to attend the BRICS summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance two-way trade and strengthen overall ties.
It is Pezeshkian's first visit to India as the president. The visit assumes significance as it comes amid a sudden spike in overall tensions in West Asia following the US slapping new punitive economic measures against Iran.
The Iranian president is slated to meet Prime Minister Modi for bilateral talks this evening.
"India and Iran share civilisational ties, marked by robust cultural and people-to-people bonds. As BRICS partners, the two countries are working to contribute to shared progress and prosperity," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media while welcoming the Iranian leader.
Pezeshkian was received at the airport by Union Minister Shantanu Thakur.
Before leaving for New Delhi, Pezeshkian underlined the need for BRICS to focus on boosting its economic resilience.
"The new BRICS bank was created to free countries from reliance on the dollar and to stand against America's push for dominance," he said.
The two-day BRICS summit hosted by India starting Saturday is expected to focus on boosting collective resilience in food, energy, health, disaster reduction, and critical supply chains with New Delhi positioning the bloc as an effective anchor to navigate a fragmented geopolitical environment.
The summit in New Delhi is taking place against the backdrop of a global economy facing the adverse impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia crisis, especially the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration's trade and tariff policies.
Modi met the Iranian leader in Bishkek on August 31 and conveyed that India supports all efforts toward ending the conflict.
Pezeshkian, on his part, had urged Modi to use India's extensive contacts with various parties to help them move away from the path of war and bloodshed and return to the path of dialogue and agreement.
In the talks on Friday evening, the Indian side is expected to again underline the importance of ensuring the freedom of navigation and the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure in the region.
Global oil supplies have suffered severe disruptions following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz-- considered the world's most critical energy chokepoint, through which roughly 20 per cent of global petroleum flows.
