Iranian President to begin his 3-day India visit today

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Wednesday announced that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani — who will be beginning a three-day visit to India starting Thursday evening — will first go to Hyderabad from where he is expected to visit either the Salar Jung Museum, Golconda Fort or Qutab Shahi Tomb on Friday morning.

He will also go to the famous Makkah Masjid in the city around noon that day.

The Iranian President will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi subsequently on Saturday. One of the most interesting engagements during the visit will be on Saturday evening in New Delhi when the Iranian President will participate in an event of the Indian Parsi community. The Indian Parsis follow the Zoroastrianism faith and their forefathers — who hailed from Iran — had migrated to India several centuries ago. The Iranian President will also deliver a lecture at a thinktank in New Delhi on Saturday.

Development and operationalisation of the Chabahar port in Iran is expected to figure prominently in talks between the two leaders.

India, Afghanistan and Iran have been engaged in trilateral cooperation on Chabahar which will lead to establishment of an “International Transport and Transit corridor bet-ween India, Afghanistan and Iran”. Chabahar port in Iran is expected to end Afghanistan’s dependence on Pakistan for transit of goods.