Modi meets Iranian parliamentary delegation at BRICS forum amid West Asia tensions
Modi and Jaishankar meet Iran’s parliamentary delegation in New Delhi. (Image courtesy: @Iran_in_India)
New Delhi: The prime minister, Narendra Modi, met Iranian parliamentary representatives on Monday during the 12th BRICS parliamentary forum in New Delhi. The interaction maintained India-Iran political engagement after Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Iran’s islamic consultative assembly, withdrew from the October 26-27 gathering.
The Iranian embassy said on X that Modi, the external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor received members of the visiting delegation in “courtesy calls”. Its statement stressed the importance of bilateral relations without disclosing a substantive agenda, joint statement or policy decision.
The Iranian delegation is led by Ahmad Naderi, a member of parliament’s presiding board. Its other identified members include Abbas Moghtadaei Khourasgani, who heads the Iran-India parliamentary friendship group, and deputy head Ali Haddadi. The lawmakers also met the Lok Sabha speaker, Om Birla, on Monday morning, according to Iranian reporting.
Iran participates despite speaker’s cancellation
As RNA Media reported on Sunday, Ghalibaf had been expected to attend the parliamentary gathering but cancelled his visit. In a statement on Saturday, the Iranian embassy cited “certain unforeseen circumstances” and did not provide a reason for his absence.
The embassy nevertheless confirmed that Iran would send parliamentary representatives and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to BRICS. Monday’s meetings demonstrated continued political contact, although the courtesy calls should not be confused with formal bilateral negotiations.
Chabahar and West Asia remain in the background
Modi previously met the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 11. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, their discussions covered bilateral relations and West Asia, with Modi stressing dialogue, regional stability, freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers.
The two countries have longstanding interests in trade and regional connectivity, notably the Chabahar port project intended to provide access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. India told parliament in July that it remained engaged with stakeholders after a conditional US sanctions waiver for the project expired on April 26. No change to Chabahar arrangements was announced following Monday’s parliamentary encounters.
India is hosting the forum at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan under the theme “Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development”. The programme addresses institutional resilience, human-centred digital innovation, more representative global governance and sustainable development.
The Lok Sabha secretariat confirmed that Modi interacted with visiting BRICS parliamentary delegations while Om Birla inaugurated the forum. The gathering concludes on Tuesday, with outcomes from its wider deliberations still to be finalized.
