Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday, will hold talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday.
PM Singh is here to attend the 16th NAM summit but will use the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with the top Iranian leadership and firm up ties.
Apart from Ahmadinejad, Singh will also hold talks with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The visit is the first in a decade to Iran by an Indian Prime Minister after Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the country in 2001.
Singh’s bilateral meetings with Khamenei and Ahmadinejad assume significance as they will take place at a time when the US is pushing India to reduce engagement with Iran and implement sanctions imposed by some countries over its controversial nuclear programme.
On the sidelines of the summit of 120 non-aligned nations, Singh will also hold meetings with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Egypt’s first civilian President, Mohammed Mursi.
—PTI