Iran, India sign 12 MoUs to boost ties

Iranian and Indian officials inked 12 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) here on Monday to expand ties in diverse areas.

The documents were signed in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Based on the agreements, both countries will cooperate to interact politically through dialogue and the institutions in their foreign ministries.

They also agreed to collaborate on science and technology and the conduct of cultural programs.

The Iranian and Indian governments will further carry out a number of joint economic projects including the development of Iran's southeastern port city of Chabahar.

Rouhani told a joint press conference following the signing ceremony that both Iran and India have decided to elevate their bilateral relations from merely trade ties to comprehensive economic, political and scientific cooperation.

Both nations as well as the entire region will benefit from the boost of these relations, as the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers have provided the ground to this end, he added.

For his part, the Indian prime minister said that "reinforcing India-Iran economic cooperation would serve the interests of the two nations."

"India and Iran play pivotal roles in enhancing regional peace," he said, adding that both countries can cooperate against recurring crimes including terrorism and extremism in the region, drug trafficking and cyber crimes.

Leading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Modi arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Sunday for talks on key economic cooperation with Iran.

On Monday, Iran and India are set to sign a trilateral deal, with Afghanistan involved, regarding Iran's Chabahar Port.

Under the agreement reached in April, India will be allowed access to Afghanistan via the strategically located Iranian port of Chabahar, which sits on the Gulf of Oman.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was in Tehran to sign the trilateral deal. Endit