TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif left for India's New Delhi on Monday for talks on boosting bilateral cooperation.
Accompanied by a high-ranking political and economic delegation, Zarif is slated to hold talks with senior Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Tehran Times daily reported.
During his three-day visit in India, Zarif will also attend the annual international conference of the Raisina Dialogue, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.
Following his visit to India, Zarif is planned to go to Iraq and hold talks with senior officials of the Arab country on issues of mutual interest, including economic ties.
The visits to India and Iraq come against the backdrop of Iran's efforts to boost its trade with traditional economic partners to counter the U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. has reimposed sanctions on Iran, including its oil exports, following its exit from the landmark Iranian nuclear deal last May.
However, Washington has agreed to let eight countries, including India and Iraq, keep temporarily buying Iranian oil.
