Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi hailed Tehran's "excellent ties" with New Delhi in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee as both sides examined ways to expand bilateral cooperation, reported the official IRNA news agency.
The agency quoted Kharazi as saying in the meeting Wednesday that Vajpayee's "historic" trip "has a special place in the two countries' excellent ties," adding that both nations could "play an important role in various regional and international fields."
“The two sides underlined the fact that the expansion of the Iranian-Indian ties in areas of energy, industry, technology, trade and tourism are of high priority and would contribute to the economic prosperity of the region,” Kharazi said.
He added that “as two great civilizations, Iran and India could cooperate to play a key role in the regional and international scenes.”
He said the strengthening of the security and stability at the regional and international levels could serve as a base for their bilateral ties, adding that a strong political will is of prime importance for the two states to promote the level of the bilateral cooperation.
The meeting took place on the second day of Vajpayee's visit to Tehran, the first trip to Iran by an Indian prime minister since 1993.
Vajpayee, for his part, termed the two countries' "political will for a strengthening of cooperation" as "important," said IRNA.
The ministers also exchanged views on the Afghan crisis and underlined the need for talks between Afghanistan's warring factions in order to establish "calm and peace" in the country.
The Indian prime minister, who met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami Monday when the two men signed several cooperation accords on energy, trade and customs, is due to meet supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later on Thursday, the agency said – Albawaba.com
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