Iranian President Hassan Rohani, Saturday, on the last day of his visit to India was received in New Delhi by Premier Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
Rohani:
"Relations between Iran and India do not aim to harm any other nation. The two countries must exploit the common capabilities to expand and deepen bilateral relations, and build a better future for the two nations and the region "
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran expressed satisfaction for having visited, in the Indian city of Hyderabad, a mosque built by Persian artists centuries ago, and stressed the willingness of Iran to keep alive the tradition of good relations with the India, through cooperation in the fields of commerce, economics, universities, research and new technologies. Hassan Rohani added that among all the sectors in which the two nations can cooperate, the "energy and goods transit" sectors are important and strategic.
Narendra Modi:
"The signing of 15 Cooperation Agreements also expressed the willingness of the Modi administration to develop relations with Tehran. "Many obstacles have been removed for economic cooperation with Iran, putting many mutual investment projects in the conditions to bear fruit and then trigger future collaborations".
The development of the port of Chabahar, overlooking the sea of Oman, in the extreme south-east of the Iranian territory, remains the most important project of cooperation between the two nations. The investment from 500 million dollars of India in the port provides for its expansion and then the contribution to the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway in Iranian territory. The port, already partially inaugurated, has begun to transfer mainly the wheat exported from India to Afghanistan, cutting off the great rival of the Indians, Pakistan. Rohani recalled that Iran is ready to "sign bilateral and trilateral agreements to transform the transit route that passes through Chabahar into a strategic route for strengthening regional relations". It is therefore possible that future developments of the current India-Iran-Afghanistan route may involve new nations. Rohani also said that he was willing to sign "long-term strategic" oil supply agreements with Indian partners. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after the interview with Modi, Rohani stressed the total harmony, not only on the protection of the JCPOA (the nuclear agreement), but also on Syria, Iraq and Yemen. We both believe that crises must be resolved through diplomacy and that wars must be stopped ". The Iranian president also wanted to put a bouquet of flowers and a message on the tomb of the Mahatma.