NEW DELHI — India and Iran said Saturday that they would step upcooperation in combatting extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking, andrestoring peace and stability in war-wracked Afghanistan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries would also makeefforts to improve energy security and regional connectivity to reachlandlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia through developing Iran’s ChabaharPort and road and rail routes.
Modi and visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks in the Indiancapital.
“We both will work for restoring peace, stability, prosperity and apluralistic system in Afghanistan,” Modi said.
Rouhani said Iran and India “are prepared for joint ventures in gas andpetroleum sectors.” He sought India’s investment in these areas, as well asin the industrial and mining sectors.
He said Afghanistan must be “a vivacious and secure country,” adding thatIran and India would also cooperate in dealing with the situations in Iraq,Syria and Yemen. Iran is a key stakeholder in the future of those nations.
Rouhani’s visit to India comes at a time when President Donald Trump hasthreatened to scuttle an international deal reached with Iran in 2015 overits nuclear program that ended economic sanctions imposed on the country.
The uncertainty puts India in a difficult position with its growing tieswith the United States.
On Saturday, India and Iran signed agreements for avoidance of doubletaxation and implementing an extradition treaty signed in 2008. Anotheragreement envisaged the pooling of technical, scientific and humanresources between the two countries.
India will also help Iran in running a multipurpose container terminal atthe Chabahar Port for 18 months as part of a lease agreement.
India is helping Iran develop Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman for tradewith Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan, which has refused toprovide New Delhi access through a land route.
India committed up to $500 million for the development of Chabahar alongwith associated roads and rail lines.
Rouhani’s three-day visit to India ended Saturday. – Agencies