LOC17:58
14:58 GMT
NEW DELHI, Feb 17 (KUNA) -- India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed a host of bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual concern with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
During talks, both the sides expressed strong resolve to deepen and enhance bilateral cooperation in various segments, Indian foreign ministry's spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a statement Saturday.
A wide-ranging and constructive discussion on bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues was held under a cordial atmosphere, added the spokesman.
"Both leaders held substantive and productive discussion on cooperation in trade and investment, energy, connectivity, defense and security, and regional issues," he said.
Modi and Rouhani also underlined the importance of defeating terrorism and expressed their strong resolve to combat terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.
"They called on the international community to end selective or partial approaches to combating terrorism and, in this regard, stressed the need to make every effort to reach an agreement on and conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism at the UNGA," said the ministry's spokesman.
The two leaders also stressed the importance of bringing peace and stability in the region and expressed their hope that a strong, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan would be in the interest of all and pledged their support to the national unity government.
They also expressed their resolve to deepen India-Iran-Afghanistan trilateral consultations and coordination in order to strengthen connectivity especially through Chabahar port.
On the sidelines of talks, nine agreements were exchanged to further cement cooperation between the two nations.
The pacts are pertaining to the avoidance of double taxation, extradition, medicine, agriculture, postal cooperation, and Chabahar Port development.
Earlier, Rouhani met President Ram Nath Kovind and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Rouhani arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening after arriving in the Southern Indian city of Hyderabad on a three-day visit to the country accompanied by a high-level delegation consisting of ministers and business magnets.
His visit to India, which comes at the invitation of Modi, is the first for an Iranian President in the last 10 years. (end)
atk.ma