Tehran: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Iran today on a two-day visit to boost ties with a focus on raising India's oil imports and enhancing trade with the powerful Persian Gulf nation which has opened several lucrative sectors after sanctions against it were lifted under a historic nuclear deal.
The visit by Ms Swaraj to the oil-rich country comes amid a rush for investment in the resource-rich nation by global economic powers including Japan, China, the US and several European countries after Iran invited foreign companies for joint ventures in many of its crucial sectors including oil and gas.
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.
Ms Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif tomorrow during which entire gamut of bilateral relations will be reviewed with a major focus on ramping up ties in energy, trade and banking sectors.
Iran has ended free shipping of crude oil to India and terminated a three-year-old system of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and the issue is likely to figure in talks between Ms Swaraj and Mr Zarif.
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had paid a two-day visit to Tehran from April 9 during which he discussed with his Iranian counterpart the repayment of nearly $6.5 billion that Indian refiners owe to Iran.
The visit by Ms Swaraj to the oil-rich country comes amid a rush for investment in the resource-rich nation by global economic powers including Japan, China, the US and several European countries after Iran invited foreign companies for joint ventures in many of its crucial sectors including oil and gas.
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.
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Ms Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif tomorrow during which entire gamut of bilateral relations will be reviewed with a major focus on ramping up ties in energy, trade and banking sectors.
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Iran has ended free shipping of crude oil to India and terminated a three-year-old system of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and the issue is likely to figure in talks between Ms Swaraj and Mr Zarif.
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Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had paid a two-day visit to Tehran from April 9 during which he discussed with his Iranian counterpart the repayment of nearly $6.5 billion that Indian refiners owe to Iran.
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