Bilateral agreements signed by India and iran includes one to set up an aluminium plant and for laying a railway line to give India the access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
A "milestone" pact on the strategic Chabahar Port in southern Iran which will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe bypassing Pakistan was among the agreements signed 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 (Rs 3,326.7crore ), 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 bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Hassan Rouhani included one on setting up of an aluminium plant and another on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
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.
The two countries noted with deep concern that terrorism and ideologies of violent extremism "continue to infest and ingress" the region and agreed to enhance regular consultations between National Security Councils and others concerned on terrorism, security and related issues such as organised crime, money-laundering, narcotics trade and cyber crime, said a India-Iran Joint Statement issued later.
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, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country in April 2001.
The key agreement signed was a contract for development of Phase I of the Chabahar port on the southern coast of Iran by an Indian joint venture.
Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan Province on the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation's southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India's western coast, bypassing Pakistan.
"The bilateral agreement to develop the Chabahar port and related infrastructure and availability of about USD 500 million from India for this purpose is an important milestone," Modi said in joint media interaction with Rouhani.
"This major effort would boost economic growth in the region. We are committed to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today," he said.
The trilateral pact on Transport and Transit Corridor, linked to the Chabahar port development, was signed later by India, Iran and Afghanistan in the presence of Modi, Rouhani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Rouhani said each of the three countries will name a minister for follow-up action.
"They (leaders) look forward to early delineation of all necessary rules and procedures leading to operationalisation of the transport and transit routes within the timelines stipulated in the Agreement," the Joint Statement said.
Describing the signing of the trilateral 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, the Prime Minister 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.
He 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." Earlier,
Modi and Rouhani, during bilateral talks, discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern.
"We have agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime. We have also agreed to enhance interaction between our defence and security institutions on regional and maritime security," the Prime Minister said.
Terming terrorism as a "big problem running rife and rampant in the region", Rouhani said that both the nations have discussed the issue and agreed to share intelligence to combat the menace.
"Due to the importance of stability and security in the region and especially in the countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen and because a big problem called terrorism is running rife and rampant in the region.
"The two countries discussed about political issues as well and how they can cooperate on intelligence sharing and how they can get closer to each other in the fight against terrorism and extremism and how they can contribute to peace and stability in the whole region," Rouhani added.
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