Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, represented the Indian government at the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday in Tehran. The event marks a significant moment in Iran’s political landscape following recent snap elections.

Gadkari conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s good wishes to President Pezeshkian as he assumed office. During his visit, the minister engaged in discussions that positively assessed the state of bilateral relations between India and Iran, with a particular focus on the development of Chabahar Port.

Both sides emphasized the importance of Chabahar Port in strengthening bilateral and regional trade. They also highlighted its potential to provide landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asian countries access to regional and global markets.

The snap elections in Iran were necessitated by the tragic death of former President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials, in a helicopter crash in Iran’s remote northwest in May.

Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate, secured victory in the presidential runoff earlier this month. According to CNN, citing Press TV, he received over 16.3 million votes out of the 30.5 million votes counted, defeating his ultraconservative rival Saeed Jalili, who garnered more than 13.5 million votes.

The election, which saw a voter turnout of 49.8%, marked the lowest participation in a presidential election since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. Pezeshkian’s election came after a second round of voting, having received the highest number of votes in the first round.

(Inputs from ANI)