A “milestone” pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran which will give India access to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe bypassing Pakistan was among the 12 agreements signed in Tehran on Monday by India and Iran which also agreed to cooperate on combating radicalism and terror. Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port for which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said could “alter the course of the history of the region”.
The agreements, aimed at further deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields, covered areas of economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation. Other strategically important agreements signed after detailed discussions between Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani included setting up of an aluminium plant and laying of a 500-km rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan at the cost of $1.6 billion to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years, comes months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran’s historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme. Earlier, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country in April 2001.
Vowing to jointly combat terrorism and extremism, India and Iran agreed to share intelligence in a bid to fight the menace that is “rife and rampant” in the region.
Modi and Rouhani discussed the spread of instability, radicalism and terrorism in the region. The two leaders, who had previously discussed the issue last year when they met in Ufa, Russia, shared common ground that terrorism and extremism posed several challenges to peace and stability in the region.
“Due to the importance of stability and security in the region especially in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen...Because a big problem of terrorism was running rife and rampant in the region, the two countries discussed about political issues and have agreed to cooperate on intelligence sharing,” Rouhani said.
The most strategic agreement to be signed was by India Ports Global Pvt ltd with Arya Banader of Iran on the development and operation for 10 years of two terminals and five berths at Chabahar port on Southern coast of the Persian Gulf nation. A Confirmation Statement was signed between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran to confirm the availability of credit up to Rs3,000 crore for the import of steel rails and implementation of Chabahar port. The MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation (PMO) intends to provide credit of $150 million for Chabahar port.
Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan Province in the energy-rich southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India’s western coast, bypassing Pakistan.
“This major effort would boost economic growth in the region. We are committed to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today,” Modi said.
Describing the trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor as “opening of a new chapter”, Modi said, “Today, we all are witnessing creation of history, not just for the people of our three countries but the entire region. It will build bonds of connectivity.”
Underlining that the agreement was part of the endeavour to “carve out new routes for peace and prosperity” in the region, Modi expressed confidence that the corridor will “spur unhindered” economic growth and help stop radicalisation of the youth by providing job opportunities. “The arc of economic benefit will go beyond the three countries... Its reach can extend to Central Asian Countries. It can link South Asia on one end and Europe on the other,” he said.
The PM asserted that the agreement “will strengthen our ability to stand in mutual support against those whose only motto is to maim and kill the innocents. Its success will be a positive vote for peace and stability in the region.”
Rouhani, while describing the Chabahar agreement as a “spring” in the ties among the three countries, said it was “not against any country”, an apparent reference to Pakistan. Modi, while quoting Persian poet Hafez, spoke a few lines in Persian to say, “Days of separation are over; night of wait is coming to an end; our friendship will stay forever.”
An executive protocol was inked between the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran and India’s Ministry of Science and Technology and an MoU was signed between India’s National Archives and Iran’s National library. An executive programme of cultural cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance was also signed along with an MoU between Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.