External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a significant meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on July 15, 2025, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' summit in Tianjin, China.

Announcing the meeting via X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar remarked, "Good to catch up with FM @araghchi of Iran, this time on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin". This marked Jaishankar’s first in-person interaction with Araghchi following the recent hostilities between Iran and Israel, underscoring the importance of regional dialogue amidst ongoing tensions.

Their meeting comes after a pivotal June phone conversation, during which Jaishankar expressed gratitude to Araghchi for Iran’s role in facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals caught amid the conflict.

Jaishankar’s participation in the Tianjin summit is also notable as it is his first official visit to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which had strained India-China relations considerably.

As part of the broader SCO agenda, Jaishankar, along with other member states’ foreign ministers, met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier the same day, reflecting the summit’s emphasis on multilateral engagement and regional stability. Jaishankar’s visit to China follows on the heels of SCO-related trips by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in June, highlighting India’s ongoing commitment to dialogue within the SCO framework.

At the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Jaishankar reiterated calls for the SCO to take a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism—an imperative heightened by the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

He also advocated for greater aid to Afghanistan and stronger connectivity between member states, specifically referencing the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)—a strategic initiative spanning India, Iran, and beyond.

Looking ahead, diplomatic efforts are set to continue, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi scheduled to visit India next month for talks with NSA Ajit Doval under the Special Representatives mechanism—an effort to address longstanding India-China boundary issues.

The Tianjin summit thus featured both bilateral and multilateral engagements, signalling attempts to navigate persistent regional challenges while seeking greater cooperation across Eurasia.

Based On ANI Report