President Rouhani’s maiden visit to India on Thu. aims at cementing bilateral ties through signing several MoUs, deputy head of presidential public relations said Wednesday.Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for communications and information, Parviz Esmaeili, said Rouhani’s visit is in response to the historic visit by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi to Tehran back in May 2016.
Meeting with Muslim scholars in Hyderabad, the capital of southern India’s Telangana state, as well as paying a visit to cultural and religious centers, and meeting with Iranian expatriates are among the president’s most notable plans while in Hyderabad.
According to Esmaeili, the official welcoming ceremony will be held Saturday morning in New Delhi, followed by joint negotiations between the two countries’ high-ranking delegations headed by President Rouhani and Prime Minister Modi. During the negotiations, several documents and memoranda of understanding will be signed in the presence of senior Iranian and Indian officials.
In addition to taking part in a number of cultural programs and sideline meetings, the Iranian president will also deliver a speech among a group of Indian elites and scholars.
Representatives from the two sides’ private sectors will also hold a joint forum to confer on various capacities and opportunities for cooperation and development of trade ties, Esmaeili added.India`s famous Scholars and Parliment Member Assadudin Owaisi has said that Iran Prsident`s visit to India and Hyderabad will boost the Unity and proximity among Muslims and he will offer Friday Prayer at Mecca Masjid Hyderabad and also will deliver his speech at public gathering.
He noted that President Rouhani will leave New Delhi for Tehran Saturday night.
India and Iran have started operations of Chabahar port, giving Afghanistan a route to the sea bypassing Pakistan. The $500-million Chabahar agreement, signed in May 2016 during Modi’s visit to Iran, is most likely one of the topics of discussion between the two sides, aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation.
