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R E G I O N: Iran, India should envisage modern ties: Mottaki

* Stresses that Tehran and New Delhi should materialise regional co-operation far from conspiracies of foreign powers

TEHRAN: Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki on Sunday urged Iran and India to envisage modern ties.

He made the remarks in an Iran-India round-table discussion attended by his visiting Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.

Mottaki stressed that Tehran and New Delhi should also materialize a kind of regional cooperation, which secures the real interest of both nations and is far from conspiracies of the foreign powers.

He condemned mischief of foreign powers aimed at sowing discord between the two states.

Voicing Iran’s support for expansion of India’s foreign policy in line with the country’s economic development, Mottaki expressed the hope that such a move by New Delhi would lead to further boost Iran-India relations and help establish regional peace and security.

Expressing his satisfaction with the current level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, he said there are great potentials for further expansion of trade, economic and industrial relations between the two nations.

Trade between Iran and India has reached US $ 9.3 billion, Mottaki said, adding that India is one of Iran’s main trade partners.

The two countries have already made cooperation on regional issues such as occupation, terrorism, and smuggle of narcotic drugs, he said.

Tehran and New Delhi share identical views on the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, adding that the two countries are interested in regional peace and stability, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iran-India trade grew up by nearly 80 per cent in 2007-08 and has reached the level of US $ 12.96 billion in March 2008. Of this, India exports goods worth US $1.937 billion to Iran and imports goods worth US $11.049 billion from Iran.

India’s imports from Iran include crude oil and petroleum products worth US $10.06 billion and India’s exports includes export of petroleum products worth US $850 million. irna

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