President Hassan Rouhani is slated to make his maiden visit to India to strengthen India-Iran relations. This 3-day visit is a step towards greater bilateral India-Iran relations. The Iranian President’s visit comes as no surprise after PM Modi made the historic visit to Tehran in 2016 bridging India-Iran relations.
According to the Presidential PR, several MoUs will be signed between the two nations during this visit. During his visit to Hyderabad, Rouhani will be meeting Muslim scholars, visit centres of culture and religion, and interact with expatriates from Iran. The President’s official ceremonial welcome will be held in the capital city, New Delhi. This will be followed by bilateral negotiations, headed by PM Modi and President Rouhani, in the presence of senior officials from India and Iran.
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India-Iran Relations – From Then to NOW!
The relations between India and Iran go back to 1950, when the two nations established diplomatic ties for the first time. These relations were weakened during the Cold War as a result of differences in political interests. However, the relations strengthened once again after the 1979 revolution; but this was not for long! With Iran aiding Pakistan and India aiding Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, the ties shook again.
During the 90’s, India-Iran relations saw a new horizon after both nations stood against the Taliban regime by supporting the Northern alliance in Afghanistan. This was followed by a signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement by the two nations in 2002. Although the two nations differ on certain foreign policy issues, both hold common strategic interests.
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India-Iran Relations Reach Chabahar Port
Both India and Iran have commenced operations at the Chabahar port. The Chabahar port agreement was signed by Modi during his visit to Iran in 2016. The two nations are expected to further discussions and operational strategies at the Chabahar Port during Rouhani’s visit.
The current visit by President Rouhani is expected to be in favour of both nations and take India-Iran relations to new heights.
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