Iranian and Indian Foreign Policy: Areas of Interaction and Conflict

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Abstract

India, the second most populous country in the world enjoying 6% economic growth during the last years of the twentieth century, is considered as a newly emerged power, and is predicted to be the fourth economic power by 2025. Development of military might, outstanding software power particularly in space industry and entering nuclear technology arena provide a special position for India in the regional and international security equations. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks for a superior position in the region considering its long time planning and its foreign policies based on the 2026 outlook document. Moreover, the recent upheavals in the region specially the Islamic awakening in the Middle East and North Africa, the old Iran-US hostilities, Iran’s views towards the South East Asia, the American and Israeli influences as two hostile powers to Iran in the region namely in the Indian subcontinent, and Iran-India power games for cooperation or competition provide convergence or divergence stages for bilateral or multilateral interactions for both countries, which are the main question of this article. The author will try to examine the effective elements on the form and content of above-mentioned interactions and present appropriate strategies for Iran’s interests and national security.

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