Indian Oil Minister’s Iran Visit to Focus on Energy Cooperation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An upcoming visit by India’s oil minister to Iran will be mainly aimed at boosting energy ties between the two nations, Indian media reported.
A source in the Indian government told the Economic Times on Tuesday that Dharmendra Pradhan will visit Tehran on April 9-10, hoping to expand energy cooperation in the first visit by an Indian minister to Iran after the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions.
He added that the Indian minister is scheduled to discuss participation of the country’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in developing the Farzad-B natural gas field in the Persian Gulf during his planned visit.
The source further said purchase of more crude from Iran, settlement of New Delhi’s pending oil payments, and study of potential projects in the special economic zone at Iran’s Chabahar southern port will be among the topics to be discussed during the visit.
According to the report, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is also expected to pay an official visit to Tehran on April 17-18 to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.
In July last year, Indian Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi made a visit to Tehran at the head of a high-ranking delegation and discussed payment of $6.5 billion that India owes in past oil dues.
The 4-member delegation included an official from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as well as the Oil Ministry.
The visits follow the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and world powers last summer.
All nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached the deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16.
