In an effort to improve regional cooperation, India, Iran, and Armenia have formed a trilateral alliance. It was convened in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on Thursday for the first trilateral political conference between the foreign ministries of the three nations.

The delegations were led by Mnatsakan Safaryan, the deputy foreign minister of Armenia, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, the assistant of the foreign minister of Iran, and JP Singh, the joint secretary of the ministry of external affairs of India according to Armenia's foreign ministry. 

According to a readout issued by the Armenian foreign ministry, "During the meeting, the sides particularly discussed economic issues and regional communication channels, outlined the prospects of deepening cultural and people to people contacts as well as trilateral cooperation in various fields." 

The readout stated that the three nations have chosen to "continue consultations" under the format. The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a freight route connecting India, Iran, and Russia, was the topic of discussion during the trilateral summit. The INSTC aims to cut the cost and time required to transport goods from Mumbai to Moscow. In 2002, Russia, Iran, and India signed the INSTC pact, which has since grown.

The three nations' bilateral ties are strong, and in recent months, there have been high-level interaction. Ararat Mirzoyan, the foreign minister of Armenia, visited India in March 2023; Suren Papikyan, the minister of defence, went there in April 2022; and EAM Jaishankar, the minister of defence, went there in October 2021.

Iran and India have a shared cultural heritage and a long history together. The connectivity between the two sides has been mostly dependent on Iran's Chabahar port. Six movable harbour cranes, valued at $25 million, were donated by India to help with the port's expansion.

The port has the potential to serve as a gateway for India to access Central Asia and Afghanistan, while also providing Iran with an alternative trade route to the Persian Gulf. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to travel to India in July to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a full-fledged member of the grouping. 

Iran and Armenia, which border each other, have close relations as well. Iran established a consulate in Kapan, Armenia, last year. The two nations have also been collaborating to improve trade and economic ties, with Armenia acting as a transit country for Iran to enter the Eurasian Economic Union. Trilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, investment, energy, and transportation, is anticipated to be facilitated by the association of India, Iran, and Armenia.

Image source: Wion