Iran, India sign four MOUs, seek closer ties

TEHRAN,May 5(MNA) – Iran and India signed four memorandums of understanding to expand their relations in various areas. The signing of the MOUs came as Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid co-chaired the 17th meeting of the Iran-India Joint Economic Commission in Tehran on Saturday. Prior to the economic commission meeting, Salehi called for closer ties with India in all areas including trade, agriculture, and education. He went on to say that relations between the two countries are so strong that no barrier can hinder them from flourishing. Special ties The Indian foreign minister also said, “We consider our ties with Tehran very special.” Given the historical and cultural affinities between the two countries the Indian people have a sense of close friendship with the Iranians, the top Indian diplomat noted. Elsewhere in his remarks, Khurshid called for an end to violence in Syria, saying the Syrian people should be allowed to determine their own destiny. To resolve the two-year old conflict in Syria, the efforts by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, must be backed by the international community, he further said. The Indian official also held separate meetings with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani on the same day.