India helps Iran fight massive locust infestation
India, concerned about the spread of locust attacks to its border areas, has announced that it will export dozens of tons of pesticides to Iran. Relations between Iran and India have been cold since last year due to US pressure to implement sanctions.
The massive invasion of locusts in various regions of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan has also caused increasing concern in India. Delhi authorities are witnessing the intensity of the locusts' attacks on farmers' fields in these regions and the possibility of their rapid entry into India's border areas, a matter that has prompted the country to react.
According to the Hindustan Times report, given the proximity of the danger to the country's borders, the Indian government last week offered Iran cooperation with Tehran to repel the locusts, and this offer was accepted by Iran.
Today, Wednesday, May 27, the Business Standard published a statement from the Indian government on this matter. The statement states that based on an agreement between India and Iran, the country will export 25 tons of "technical malathion" pesticide to Iran.
The state-run IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday that HIL is producing the pesticide and that the export of the product is based on a government-to-government agreement between India and Iran. The report said that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has asked HIL to produce the pesticide and export it to Iran.
The harvest season in India is approaching and the invasion of millions of locusts into the fields is a serious threat to Indian agriculture. These farmers have appealed to the Indian government for help. The locusts can destroy their entire fields in a short time.
Iran-India relations under pressure from US sanctions
Kirsten Knipp, a DW correspondent and Middle East expert, has raised the question: Can there be hope for closer relations between Iran and India by announcing cooperation in the field of locust control?
Knipe wrote that India had not offered to help Iran in emergency situations such as the spread of the coronavirus or the continuation of US sanctions against Iran and the problems arising from the sale of Iranian crude oil, but now, with the locust invasion in the region, New Delhi has announced that it will provide Iran with dozens of tons of pesticides.
Referring to the history of economic relations between the two countries, this Middle East expert says that the importance of India's relations with the United States and the Persian Gulf countries has caused relations with Iran to cool in recent months, and in fact, relations with these countries have been more important to India.
Knipp writes that since the end of the Cold War, cooperation between Iran and India has increased at various levels, focusing on energy production, trade relations, regional stability, and the expansion of transportation routes. India was a major buyer of Iranian oil until May 2019, exactly a year ago, but after increasing pressure on Delhi to implement and cooperate with US economic sanctions against Iran, its imports from Iran have been severely affected.
Regarding relations between Iran and India, the DW correspondent points to an analysis published by the East Asia Forum think tank. The analysis states that “in the Trump era, India’s friendly relations with the United States have become a source of extraordinary friction in Indo-Iranian relations.”
The Middle East expert goes on to say that the coronavirus outbreak has shown how difficult the relationship between the two countries is. Knipp wrote that Iran's request for medical gloves, masks and other safety equipment from India has not been met due to pressure from US sanctions.
Moreover, India does not want to jeopardize its important economic ties with the Gulf Arab states, says Kirsten Knipp. “These countries are not only India’s main energy suppliers, but also hundreds of thousands of Indian migrant workers have been working there since the start of the coronavirus outbreak,” she says.
This expert considered the joint fight against the locust invasion in the region a point of hope in relations between India and Iran and considered it an opportunity to improve trade relations between the two countries.
Source: DW
