Hyderabad: The COVID-19 outbreak and the US sanctions against Iran have temporarily impacted the relationship between India and Iran, but both countries were deeply committed to their long-term mutual understanding and cooperation, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Iran's Counsel General in Hyderabad Mohammad Haghbin Ghomi denied media reports that Indian investment plans in a railway project between Chabahar port and Zahidan have been shelved to pave way for Chinese investment in the same project.
He said that India's commitment to invest US $150 million to develop infrastructure and port facilities at Chabahar is intact and aspersions about the deal have been floated by the uninformed media. "There is no negative report from the officials or the governments on both sides," he said.
China has not replaced India in Chabahar, he said.
He said currently Iran is independently investing on the project and reports about Chinese investment were not true.
"The offer for India has not been called off. India is keen to invest in developing port facilities. It takes a long time for such deals to take off," he said.
He said that relations between India and Iran are independent of their respective relations with different countries. "It is a wrong presumption that incidents in Ladakh (Chinese incursion) have impacted the relationship between India and Iran," he said adding the abrogation of Article 370 (in Jammu and Kashmir) was India's internal matter.
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Ghomi said that during COVID-19 outbreak, India and Iran worked together to ensure safety and travel of their citizens. "Around 2,000 students from Iran have arrived back," he said.
Examination of foreign students
Ghomi pleaded with the Indian authorities to work out a solution for Iranian students enrolled in several Indian universities. "The Indian universities have issued examination time-table but our students are not provided visas at the embassy. Either the examination schedule must be changed or Iranian students must be given the option for online examination," he said.
The envoy's plea came in the wake of the University Grants Commission's (UGC) directive to all universities in the country to hold all examinations by September 30. The Supreme Court also appreciated the UGC's directive barring the states' and universities' to promote students without holding final year examinations. The apex court, however, suggested to the states and universities to approach the UGC for extension of deadline.
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The UGC directive does not encompass the foreign students enrolled in the Indian Universities. Most of these students, including Iranians, have left for their countries following the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent sine dice closure of the educational institutions.
Ghomi said that most of Iranian students were enrolled in universities across south India.
On Muharram
Ghomi appreciated the diverse Indian traditions of observance of mourning during the first month of Islamic calendar and ensured the cultural exchange between the two countries would resume after COVID-19 was fully controlled. He said the display of mourning must be strictly according to the instructions given by the authorities.
He said Iran's Supreme leader Ayatullah Khaminae set an example by adhering to COVID guidelines issued by the relevant committee. He said safety of human life was of paramount importance and is actually the essence of the sacrifice of Imam Hussain.
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