After talks with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna made it clear that Iran remained India's important source for oil given the growing domestic demand for crude.
Asked about the US sanctions on Iran and its affect on trade, Krishna said India has always abided by the United Nations Security Council resolutions on the Iran issue.
"As far as other sanctions, those decided unilaterally or regionally, we are aware of such measures. In a globalised world, these actions can have an impact on the markets," he said.
"Our commercial entities take these into account. Such measures should not impact on legitimate trade interests," Krishna said.
Salehi underlined that Iran has been a reliable partner for India on matters of energy security and will continue to be so.
He also urged India to look at energy resources that were reliable.
"Iran is an important neighbour and crucial trade partner for India, and also a major source of our energy supplies," Krishna said, adding the Persian nation was also a gateway for India to Central Asia. MORE
