Iran signs trilateral transit agreement with India, Afghanistan

Iran, India and Afghanistan signed a trilateral deal here on Monday to develop Iran's Chabahar port, which would serve as a transit route connecting the three countries.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Rouhani termed the deal as a historic occasion, saying that the trilateral agreement bears the message of progress through cooperation and seizing the regional opportunities.

"Today's document is not only an economic document, but a political and a regional one. Its message is regional countries should seize opportunities to develop," Rouhani told the signing ceremony.

Other countries can join the deal and act upon the agreement in the near future, as it would serve the interests of the entire region, Rouhani said.

Via Chabahar transit port, India is connected to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Caucasus states, he added.

"The agreement signed today will not seek to act against any other countries, but it will seek to bring about the peace and prosperity for all countries in the region," Rouhani said.

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

Also, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Tehran on Monday to sign the trilateral deal.

Ghani made his first visit to Iran since March 2015, when the two countries stressed cooperation in executing bilateral and multilateral projects with regional countries, particularly with India, to develop Chabahar port.

The Chabahar route to Afghanistan will allow Indian goods to reach Afghanistan without crossing Pakistan territory. Endit