| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Energy ties form the backbone of the Indo-Iranian relationship, underpinned by the concrete logic of supply and demand: Iran is anxious to sell its abundant hydrocarbon resources and India is an eager buyer. The complementary interests of India and Iran in the energy sector have been recognised by the Tehran and New Delhi Declarations, two substantive sets of agreements that spell out India-Iran cooperation on several issues. While the Tehran Declaration (2001) emphasized mutual benefits that would accrue from enhanced cooperation in the energy area, the New Delhi Declaration (2003) identified energy as a strategic area in the bilateral partnership. Since the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005, New Delhi has been under intense pressure to align its stand with Washington on Tehran's nuclear programme as well as hold back on energy ties with the Islamic Republic. In fact, in the past few years, the US-led international economic sanctions against Iran have inhibited Indo-Iranian energy ties considerably.
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