External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj speaks during her visit to Gurudwara and Community School in Tehran on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (PTI photo)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today assured the Indian community in Tehran that their problems and grievances would be taken up with the Iranian authorities and complemented their contribution to the oil-rich Persian Gulf nation.
Ms Swaraj, who arrived in Tehran yesterday, began her engagement by visiting a gurudwara at the heart of Tehran which was established in 1941.
Addressing a gathering at the gurudwara, Ms Swaraj said that Indian government would take up all the difficulties being faced by the Indian community in the Persian Gulf nation.
"I am commencing my visit to Iran with a new energy after meeting with Indian community," she told the gathering.
Ms Swaraj also paid a visit to a Kendriya Vidyalaya where she interacted with students.
"Our centuries old and civilisational links with Iran have been strengthened by the cultural activities of the Indian school," she said.
The Kendriya Vidyalaya was set up in 1955 by the Indian community and the Indian embassy had taken over its administration in 2004. The school currently has students from around 16 different communities, including from a number of foreign countries.
In her interaction with the students, Ms Swaraj asked them to focus on their roles and study hard.
Ms Swaraj's visit is seen as a balancing act by India as it came nearly two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Saudi Arabia, another West Asian power which considers Iran its rival.
Iran is an important country for India for its energy security as well as to get access to oil and gas-rich Central Asian nations. India imports close to 12 million tonnes of crude from Iran and it is looking at increasing the oil import from the country.
From Iran, Ms Swaraj will leave for a two-day trip to Moscow to attend the annual Foreign Ministers' meeting of RIC (Russia, India and China).