There is a will on the part of India to help save the Iran nuclear deal following the United States’ unilateral withdrawal, a senior diplomat said Monday, adding that New Delhi is willing to continue importing Iranian crude.
“India is determined to help save the JCPOA,” Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told IRNA in reference to the 2015 nuclear accord signed between Tehran and world powers, which is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The official made the remark after meeting with high-ranking officials in New Delhi, where he attended the 15th round of Foreign Office Consultations between the two countries, which on the Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Araqchi also held talks with the Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar.
Reliable Partner
“Iran has been a reliable oil supplier for buyers, including India, and the Islamic Republic’s policy is to continue this path. On the other hand, the Indian government is willing to continue buying oil from Iran,” the senior diplomat noted.
Araqchi said potential solutions to address issues related to oil exports, tankers, insurance coverage, and payment options were explored during his “friendly” and “constructive” talks with Indian authorities.
“We feel that the Indian government is serious about saving the agreement just like the European countries, China and Russia are serious about saving the deal. However, it is important that we achieve results that would serve Iran’s national interests,” he said, adding that consultations with all concerned parties will continue.
Regional Issues
The deputy minister said regional issues, including Afghanistan, were discussed during the talks as the rise of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in the landlocked country is a “shared concern.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement following the diplomatic consultations, saying that the two sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in the implementation of decisions taken during President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to India in February, especially in regard to strengthening trade and economic cooperation and promoting people-to-people contacts.
“Views were also exchanged on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including efforts undertaken by various parties to address issues that have arisen over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” it said.
US Delegation
Monday’s meetings came a day ahead of talks between Indian officials and a US delegation including assistant secretary of the treasury, Marshall Billingslea, and state department official Andrew Peek, in which the US will discuss its demand for compliance with sanctions to “isolate Iran,” the Hindu reported.
Speaking to a group of journalists after the meeting, Araqchi said he “had a very good sense” from the meeting that India and Iran will continue their cooperation despite US threats.
“There are many routes through which Iran and India can cooperate in important fields for both sides, especially energy and Chabahar [port project]. We know that there are pressures from outside but we count on the Indian government to make proper decisions in favor of its national interest,” he told the Hindu.
Iran is India’s third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and India is Iran’s second largest oil importer after China.
The diplomat denied reports that Indian refineries had cut oil imports from Iran by 16% in June. “We don’t have these reports yet. The current levels are still the same as previous months, but colleagues are talking about next month’s purchases from Iran which is still an open issue.”
Port Project
He also urged New Delhi to continue the project at Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti Port, where the South Asian country has committed $85 million on current construction and a total of $500 million on projects including railroads.
In 2012, the US gave Indian investment a “carve-out” but has not yet indicated any waiver for the project in the current round of sanctions, which target ports and shipping sectors among others, according to the Hindu.
“It is in the ultimate interest of India to continue this project. This has big political and strategic importance for both countries, and I am confident we can work together to take this project forward,” Araqchi told reporters before returning home.
