Iran minister in Delhi for talks to boost ties

DAYS BEFORE DONALD Trump returns to the Oval Office, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, has reached New Delhi for talks Friday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

- SHUBHAJIT ROY

Iran is looking at increasing bilateral trade with India, including via the Chabahar port.

From tourism to agriculture, Tehran wants to boost ties with Delhi and bilateral talks will take place before the Trump administration takes charge on January 20.

Sources said Iran would also like to get a sense from Indian officials on dealing with sanctions - India has stopped buying oil from Iran due to the threat of sanctions, but has continued to buy oil from Russia despite sanctions.

A top Iranian government source said while the "circumstances" of Russia and Iran are "different", these questions merit discussions. "We don't want to deal with the past, but want to look into the future," the source said.