The Iran Visit
Civilisational Connect, Contemporary Context
Civilisational Connect, Contemporary Context
At the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Hassan Rouhani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to Iran from 22 to 23 May, 2016. He called on the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei and held wide-ranging discussions with President Rouhani. The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations, the evolving regional situation aswell as global issues of mutual interest and recalled the principles on development of bilateral relations articulated in the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ of 23 January 2003.
The leaders were united in their determination to build a strong, contemporary and cooperative relationship that draws upon the strength of the historical and civilisational ties between the two countries.
They welcomed the signing of the trilateral Agreement on Establishing Chabahar Transport and Transit Corridors that will provide Afghanistan an assured and alternative access to regional markets, thus contributing to development, peace and stability in Afghanistan and also the region as a whole. They looked 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.
India and Iran inked a total of 12 agreements on economy, trade, transportation, infrastructure development, culture, science & technology and academic cooperation.
The two sides reiterated their resolve to strengthen the international consensus and legal regimes against terrorism, including effective cooperation among the states in resolving the outstanding issues related to the draft Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism. As executive leaders of two important countries with stake in stability of the region, they stressed the significance of strengthening India-Iran-Afghanistan trilateral consultations and coordination, including by suitably supplementing their cooperation on Chabahar. The Iranian side extended its support for India in hosting the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process on Afghanistan.
This book will take you through the highlights of the visit.
Prime Minister Modi, paid respects to the Guru Granth Sahib at the Bhai Ganga Singh Sabha Gurudwara, shortly after arriving in Tehran. He was presented with a Saropa and a Talwar.
"We Indians believe in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the whole world is our family – and therefore assimilate with everyone easily"
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister and President Rouhani expressed their satisfaction at the progress in bilateral ties since their meeting in July 2015 in Ufa and were united in their determination to build a strong, contemporary and cooperative relationship that draws upon the strength of the historical and civilisational ties between the two countries. The two leaders agreed to further intensify high-level engagement through more frequent and wider exchange of bilateral visits at all levels, as well as meetings on the sidelines of regional and multilateral meetings.
"India and Iran are not new friends. Our dosti is as old as history"
The two leaders witnessed the inking of a total of 12 agreements on sectors ranging form - Economy, Trade, Transportation, Infrastructure Development, Culture, Science & Technology and Education Cooperation.
“We stand together in unity of our purpose. To carve out new routes of peace, and prosperity is our common goal”
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi
"Bahar means ‘spring’ and I hope this port means spring for all of us"
- President Hassan Rouhani
"100 years from now historians will remember this day as the start of regional cooperation"
- President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
“Economic fruits of Chahbahar Agreement will expand trade, attract investment, build infrastructure, develop industry and create jobs”
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Welcoming the signing of the Trilateral Agreement on Establishing Chabahar Transport and Transit Corridors in the presence of President Rouhani, Prime Minister Modi and President Ashraf Ghani, the leaders stressed the historical significance of the Agreement. They pointed out that the growing multi-cornered cooperation on connectivity will provide Afghanistan an assured and alternative access to regional markets, thus contributing to development, peace and stability in Afghanistan and also the region as a whole.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated a three- day international conference - ‘India-Iran, Two Great Civilizations: Retrospect and Prospect’.The conference was jointly organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Academy of Persian Language and Literature (Farangistan).The occasion saw him release the Persian translation of the Panchatantra (Kalileh Wa-Dimneh).
“The richness of Persian heritage is an integral part of the fabric of Indian society. A part of Iranian culture lives in Indian hearts”
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Modi gifted the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei a specially commissioned reproduction of a rare seventh-century manuscript of the Holy Quran attributed to Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph. Written in Kufic script, this manuscript is a prized possession of the Ministry of Culture’s Rampur Raza Library.
The also gifted the Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani specially commissioned reproductions of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib’s collection of poetry in Persian, Kulliyat-e-Farsi-e-Ghalib, and Sumair Chand’s Persian translation of Ramayana.
First published in 1863, Kulliyat-e-Farsi-e-Ghalib is a collection of over 11,000 verses by Ghalib. The reproduction is from a rare copy of the book’s 1867 edition to which some missing pages have been added from a copy of the 1872 edition from Maulana Azad’s personal collection preserved in the library of Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi.
Translated into Persian in 1715 and copied in 1826, Sumair Chand’s Ramayana is a rare manuscript at the Ministry of Culture’s Rampur Raza Library, and contains over 260 illustrations – possibly the largest number in any hand-written Ramayana manuscript.
