A “milestone” pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran, which will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, was among the agreements signed here on Monday by I
A “milestone” pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran, which will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, was among the agreements signed here on Monday by India and Iran which also agreed to cooperate on combating radicalism and terror.
Besides the bilateral pact to develop the port, for which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral “Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor” was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, a pact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said could “alter the course of the history of the region”.
The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Mr Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani included one on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
The agreements are aimed at further deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields and cover the economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.
The two countries noted with deep concern that terrorism and ideologies of violent extremism “continue to infest and ingress” the region and agreed to enhance regular consultations between National Security Coun-cils and others concerned on terrorism, security and related issues.
