India, Iran and Armenia emphasise on deepening connectivity cooperation

Tehran, Sep 9 (IANS) India, Iran and Armenia held the third Trilateral Consultations in Tehran to review the progress achieved as a result of decisions made at the first and second meeting. The officials of three nations emphasised expanding and deepening cooperation, particularly in connectivity, including the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Armenia’s "Crossroads of Peace” project.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI), Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Anahit Karapetyan, Head of the Asia-Pacific Department, Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the meeting held in Tehran, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) detailed on Tuesday.

"The sides expressed satisfaction at the regular and annual holding of the trilateral consultations and reviewed the progress achieved as a result of decisions made at the first meeting held in Yerevan in April 2023 and the second meeting held in New Delhi in December 2024. They further emphasised fulfillment of the goals set for the said meetings in order to secure mutual interests and promote prosperity and welfare in the region."

India, Armenia and Iran reviewed and highlighted initiatives aimed at further developing relations in economic, trade, and other areas of mutual interest. The officials of three nations agreed that the next round of trilateral consultations will be held in Armenia in 2026.

The second India-Iran-Armenia Trilateral Consultations were held in New Delhi in 2024. Building on the outcomes of the trilateral consultations held in Yerevan in April 2023, the three nations discussed connectivity initiatives, engagement in multilateral fora, and regional developments, according to MEA statement. They also discussed ways to promote trade, tourism and cultural exchanges while strengthening people-to-people ties. The officials of three nations stressed the need for fostering close cooperation under the INSTC and highlighted the role of Chabahar Port in this regard.

--IANS

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