Sushma Swaraj heads to Moscow after Iran

TEHRAN: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today headed for Russian capital Moscow for the second leg of her two-nation visit, during which she will attend the annual Foreign Ministers' meeting of Russia, India and China.

"Khuda Hafez Tehran! EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs Iran for Moscow for the 2nd leg of her tour," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Swaraj's visit to Moscow will see her attend the annual Foreign Ministers' meeting of RIC (Russia, India and China).

Besides attending the RIC meeting, she is also expected to have a bilateral meet with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

On the sidelines of RIC, Swaraj is expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during which she is likely to raise the issue of China blocking India's bid at the UN to ban Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.

In Iran, she had a wide rage of engagements with several top Iranian leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani.

Rouhani has assured Swaraj that Iran can be a "reliable partner" for India's energy needs. Enhancing energy cooperation was the centerpiece of her visit to the powerful Persian Gulf nation.