Modi-Rouhani pledge to deepen mutual ties; ink 9 pacts including energy, defense and health sectors

NewsBharati    17-Feb-2018
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New Delhi, February 17: India and Iran signed nine agreements after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New Delhi today. Both the countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, energy, connectivity, defence and security and regional issues. 

At the joint press statement with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, PM Narendra Modi said that India and Iran were linked since ancient times. PM Modi said that the two nations want to see its neighbours including Afghanistan 'free of terrorism'.

Saying that India-Iran partnership goes beyond trade, Rouhani added, "We share views on two crucial issues - transit and economy. We want to develop railway relations between the 2 countries and are seeing development of Chabahar Port."

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held wide ranging and productive talks with Iranian President Rouhani aimed at boosting cooperation in areas of defence and security, trade and investment, and energy between the two countries.

The two leaders also deliberated on regional situations in their wide-ranging talks.

“Both leaders held substantive & productive discussion on cooperation in trade & investment, energy, connectivity, defence & security & regional issues,” External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi greeted President Hassan Rouhani at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Iranian President, who is on a three- day visit to India, said the current century belongs to Asia where New Delhi and Tehran have an important role to play.

Iran has already expressed willingness to share its vast oil and natural gas resources with India for the prosperity of its people and offered to simplify visa norms to strengthen the relations between the two countries.

In his visit, Rouhani has also emphasised on the importance of the Chabahar port in his country, saying it will open up the transit route for India to Iran, Afghanistan (bypassing Pakistan), Central Asian countries and also Europe. Under an agreement, India is to invest USD 85 million for equipping Chabahar port in southeastern Iran.