New Delhi, Oct 7 (NationPress) The outgoing Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"It was a pleasure to host Ambassador Iraj Elahi of Iran for a farewell meeting this evening in Delhi. I acknowledge his significant contributions to enhancing our bilateral relations and wish him all the best in his future endeavors," EAM Jaishankar shared on X following their discussion.

Appointed as the Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi in 2022, Elahi previously held the position of second Eurasian Office Director at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

India and Iran boast a history of interactions spanning a millennium. The relationship between the two nations continues to strengthen, characterized by high-level exchanges, commercial collaborations, connectivity initiatives, cultural ties, and strong people-to-people connections.

In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met during the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia, where they explored avenues for further enhancing bilateral cooperation. This meeting marked their first engagement since Pezeshkian took office in July of the previous year.

Last month, both countries engaged in their annual bilateral Political Consultations in Tehran, reviewing cooperation in connectivity, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), economic, financial, trade, and other areas of mutual significance. This meeting was co-chaired by Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI), and Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia Division, at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The discussions included regional and global developments, highlighting the importance of enhanced cooperation within the United Nations and other regional and multilateral organizations, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Officials from both nations commemorated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and expressed their commitment to further deepen ties in alignment with mutual interests.

According to a statement from the MEA, "Both parties expressed contentment over the regular holding of annual political consultations as a precursor to Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Secretary/Deputy Foreign Minister of both countries. They reaffirmed the significance of this process and agreed to align their efforts accordingly." The next round of these bilateral political consultations is scheduled to take place in New Delhi in 2026.