India says will use all means to facilitate Iran’s BRICS membership

The national security advisor of India has said New Delhi will use every means and opportunity at its disposal to facilitate Iran’s accession to the BRICS group of emerging countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Iran’s membership in BRICS would expand its economic and political capacities, Ajit Kumar Doval said in a Monday meeting with Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on the sidelines of a BRICS national security meeting.

He said India will use every means available to smooth the way for Iran’s full membership in the bloc. 

The two-day 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security opened on Monday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ahmadian, for his part, pointed to the long-established and friendly relations between Tehran and New Delhi, urging increased all-out relations between the two countries.

He also said Tehran and New Delhi hold common positions and concerns in regard to the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, expressing Iran’s readiness to develop cooperation with India in this regard.

Chabahar port development

Elsewhere in his remarks, Doval said Chabahar Port in southeastern Iran plays a key role in boosting economic relations between the two countries.

He also called for the removal of existing obstacles on the path of the seaport’s development.

The Iranian security chief also pointed to Chabahar port as a symbol of Tehran-New Delhi cooperation and called for quicker implementation of agreements between the two countries in the fields of transportation, energy, and banking.

Non-Aligned Movement

Doval also highlighted the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran and India in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), voicing New Delhi’s readiness for closer cooperation with Tehran to play greater roles at the international forum.

Ahmadian also said that utilizing the capacities that NAM holds is among the priorities of Tehran’s foreign policy.

With its 120 member states, the NAM is the largest grouping of countries outside of the UN, making it an important role player in global and multilateral affairs.

SS