Iranian Bank to Open Branch in India, Zarif Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Bank Pasargad plans to open a branch in India to facilitate bilateral trade between the Islamic Republic and the South Asian country.
“We had a good meeting with the prime minister of India and they had a positive view on Iran-India relations,” Zarif said on Friday.
“We also had a working breakfast with the (Indian) foreign minister today,” he said, adding that according to the two countries’ merchants, the most important problem is the exchange of money and the purchase of oil from Iran.
“There are different ways to solve the problem of money exchange, such as a barter (system) and (using) national currencies,” the top diplomat went on to say.
Zarif further said Bank Pasargad plans to open a branch in India in a bid to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries.
Zarif arrived in Mumbai after taking part in the 5th Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi and meeting senior international officials on the sidelines of the event.
In a speech in Mumbai on Thursday, he described relations between Tehran and New Delhi as deep-rooted.
Earlier on Thursday, Zarif met with his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, prior to leaving New Delhi for Mumbai.
Zarif in New Delhi met some Indian officials, including Prime Minister Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and his counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
He also met with the European Foreign Policy chief, Josep Borrell, in New Delhi and talked about issues o mutual interest.