Navy Commander Urges Iran-India Closer Maritime Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari called for stronger relations between Tehran and New Delhi in maritime fields.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with a top-ranking military delegation from India's University of Strategic Sciences, Sayyari said Iran and India, as two influential countries in the region, can develop broad maritime relations with each other.
Sayyari expressed the hope that Iran and India would promote their relations in a way to end trans-regional countries’ presence for safeguarding security in the northern part of Indian Ocean.
He then said northern part of Indian Ocean is one of the strategic trade areas of the world due to the existence of energy routes.
Elsewhere, Sayyari announced that the country will host navies from 45 world countries since it has received the official membership of a conference of navy commanders of Indian Ocean littoral countries in 2018, IRNA reported.
Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his country’s enthusiasm for establishing a new era of relations with Iran.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New Delhi, Modi said he has prepared all Indian officials for a new round of relations with Iran.
The Indian premier said he was impressed by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s “positive and constructive” stances in a July summit in the Russian city of Ufa.
Modi said he has felt President Rouhani’s seriousness on the enhancement of Iran-India relations.
The Indian prime minister also called for the immediate establishment of a joint commission for the expansion of bilateral relations.