India shouldn't be concerned over China-brokered Iran-Saudi Arabia deal: Iranian envoy

The Chinabrokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to revive diplomatic ties should not be a matter of concern for India as the pact would provide regional stability and would be beneficial for New Delhis interests as well Iranian ambassador Iraj Elahi said on FridayUnder the deal Iran and Saudi Arabia last week announced the fullfledged restoration of their diplomatic relations seven years after severing the ties following a bitter rowI think it the agreement should not be a concern for India It would be of benefit to India since it would help and intensify the stability and peace in the Persian Gulf region the envoy told a group of journalistsSo it would be of benefit to India despite what has been done at the mediation of China he saidThe announcement on the deal had taken the diplomatic circles in New Delhi by surpriseElahi said peace and stability in the Gulf region will benefit the Indian diaspora as well besides resulting in greater economic engagement that would include Indias trade ties with various countries in the regionThe Iranian envoy described China as a global power which is competing with the US while calling India as a rising power that is set to become the third largest economyIndia can easily and calmly improve its relations with Iran Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf states without any concern he addedAlso readUttar Pradesh cold storage tragedy Death toll rises to 14 CM Yogi orders probeIndia on Thursday welcomed the pact saying it has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differencesWe have seen the reports in this regard India has good relations with various countries in West Asia We have deep abiding interests in that region Ministry of External Affairs MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi saidIndia has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy as a way to resolve differences Bagchi said without mentioning Chinas roleAsked whether Tehran is looking for investments in Iran by Riyadh under the deal Elahi said it is expecting expansion of trade ties with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates UAEWe are looking forward to investments not only from Saudi Arabia but also from the UAE We believe that the region is at a critical point The whole region Iran Saudi Arabia the UAE and different Arab states have an understanding now that it would be beneficial to them to bridge the gap among themselves and plan for the future he saidSaudi Arabia has a huge economy It is a member of G20 and has enough money to invest in Iran but it is too soon to judge the issue Elahi saidOn the Chabahar port the envoy said Iran believes that the Indian government has a positive approach towards itOf course there are shortcomings from both sides We understand the willingness of the Indian government towards Chabahar We believe that Chabahar is not just an economic issue he saidThe ambassador said there is a need to view the Chabahar port project as a strategic engagement and not just as an economic partnershipFor India Chabahar is important For Iran also it is important But Iran has different ports in all parts of the Persian Gulf We can use different ports for transit and import and export But Chabahar is an oceanic port It is close to the Indian Ocean and closest to the route to Afghanistan he saidThe Iranian ambassador said there is a need to look at Chabahar beyond economic perspectivesBecause of this importance the speed of cooperation the speed of progress and the speed of promotion in Chabahar should be faster than what it is now It is important for India as well as Iran It will be for our benefit he saidLocated in SistanBalochistan province on the energyrich Irans southern coast the Chabahar port is being developed by India Iran and Afghanistan to boost connectivity and trade tiesAt a connectivity conference in Tashkent in 2021 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar projected the Chabahar port as a key regional transit hub including to AfghanistanThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever