VIF-IPIS Webinar on Bilateral, Regional and International Issues

In order to assess the dynamics of India-Iran relations, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) Iran, in collaboration with the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organized a webinar on Bilateral, Regional and International Issues on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, 1430-1630 Hrs. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF delivered the welcome remarks followed by the opening remarks of Dr Mohammad Hassan Sheikholeslami, President, IPIS. The main topics discussed in this webinar included developments in Afghanistan, India-Iran cooperation in Connectivity initiatives and the impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict on Indo-Iranian relations. From VIF side, Amb DP Srivastava, Amb Jayant Prasad and Amb DB Venkatesh Varma made presentations while speakers from IPIS included Amb Hossein Molla Abdollahi, Amb Hossein Ebrahimkhani and Amb Alibeman Eghbali Zarch.

The participants of the webinar noted that since ancient times, India and Iran have had significant historical and cultural ties. In modern times, this relationship is multifaceted, encompassing cooperation in political, trade-economic, security, and a range of other arenas. Iran is also important for India's connectivity to Eurasia. Given the dramatically shifting geopolitical environment in Afghanistan and Ukraine, increased cooperation between India and Iran as regional stakeholders is critical.