Iran’s Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, highlighted the significant potential for collaboration between the two nations, saying that India has everything that Iran needs.
Speaking at the Iran Food Festival in New Delhi on Wednesday, Elahi emphasized his commitment to improving trade accessibility and fostering stronger cultural ties between the countries.
Elahi said that he is actively working with Indian officials to address hurdles in bilateral trade, particularly the issue of financial transactions.
“I have studied both the Indian and Iranian markets. I always tell my government that whatever Iran needs is available in India, but accessibility is key. We must resolve the challenges related to the transfer of money and establish solid legal frameworks for our trade,” Elahi said.
He added that a joint meeting between the trade ministers of both nations is in the pipeline to find solutions to these bottlenecks.
The envoy highlighted efforts to enhance travel between the two countries, announcing visa exemptions for Indian passport holders visiting Iran.
“Iran is making it easier for Indian tourists by exempting visas. Their passports won’t even be stamped by Iranian authorities. We’re also working on increasing the frequency of flights between the two countries, and discussions with Air India and other airlines are underway,” he said.
Elahi encouraged Iranians to explore India’s rich culture, cuisine, and opportunities for collaboration. “India is not an unknown country for Iran, but we want more Iranians to visit and experience India’s beauty, food, and culture firsthand. Iran sees India as a thriving and emerging economy from which we can learn. There is potential for joint ventures in various industries, and we are planning both business-to-business and government-to-government meetings in the near future,” he added.
Drawing attention to shared cultural and culinary elements, Elahi said that the similarities between Iranian and Indian cuisines. “Iranian cuisine is quite similar to Indian food but has its own unique differences. Today’s food festival is just the beginning of promoting tourism and people-to-people contacts between our countries,” he said.
On regional issues, Elahi spoke about Iran’s concerns regarding Syria, emphasizing Tehran’s commitment to the region’s stability. “Syria is a close ally of Iran, and the current situation is unacceptable. Our main focus remains on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope the situation stabilizes soon and does not jeopardize the region’s security,” Elahi said.
(Inputs from ANI)