Iran, India See Chabahar Port as Milestone in Cooperation


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Senior officials from Iran and India called for the enhancement of bilateral relations, with both highlighting the significance of cooperation on development of Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar for the whole region.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Indian Vice-President Hamid Ansari held a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Venezuela on Saturday.

Pointing to Indian prime minister’s recent visit to Tehran that led to the achievement of several agreements, President Rouhani said the accords would be implemented faster in light of closer banking ties and joint action on development of Chabahar port.

He also urged stronger collaborations between Tehran and New Delhi for regional stability and security while the region is faced with the threat of extremism and terrorism.

The Indian vice president, for his part, welcomed closer interaction with Iran as an age-old friend.

In the future, the history of Iran-India relations will include a keyword, namely Chabahar, which will mark the enhancement of cooperation in the entire region, Ansari added.

Leaders and diplomatic delegations from 120 countries have attended the NAM summit on Venezuela’s Margarita Island.

NAM members make up about two-thirds of the UN members.