TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday hailed India as Iran's "most reliable partner" in hard times, Tasnim news agency reported.
Such companionship will go on in better times as well, he added.
Zarif made the remarks in his address to an Iran-India joint economic meeting in the New Delhi on Tuesday.
Iran's openness to interaction with the East allows India to pick partners without political coercion, he noted.
The Iranian minister also touched on the U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic, saying the anti-Iran sanctions are not new and have existed for 40 years.
However, "we will survive and keep cooperating with our friends," Zarif said.
Accompanied by a high-ranking political and economic delegation, Zarif arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday and is expected to hold talks with senior Indian officials.
The visit to India comes against the backdrop of Iran's efforts to boost its trade with traditional economic partners to counter the U.S. sanctions.
The United States withdrew from the landmark Iranian nuclear deal last May and reimposed full sanctions on Iran in November, including its oil exports and banking sectors.
However, Washington has agreed to temporarily allow eight countries, including India, to keep buying Iranian oil.
