Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) India and Iran have resolved to combat terrorism and implement an agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who is in Tehran for the ninth round of Foreign Office Consultations, Wednesday held wide-ranging talks with her counterpart Mohammad Ali Fathollahi, that included the situation in Afghanistan, the situation in Libya, the Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan gas pipeline and energy security.

Rao also called on Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, according to a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry here.

“Discussions covered issues pertaining to bilateral, regional and international developments. Views were exchanged on combating global terrorism, energy security, the North-South Transport Corridor, developments in Afghanistan and regional security and stability,” the ministry said.

The two sides also exchanged the Instrument of Ratification for the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners signed in July 2010, which operationalising the agreement.

The next meeting of the India-Iran Joint Commission will be held in Tehran at an early date.

Rao is accompanied by Y.K. Sinha, joint secretary in charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) division in the external affairs ministry.

India also discussed the modus operandi for payment of oil exports from Tehran.

India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy has said the government is looking for ways to keep the oil flowing to the country.

“Iran is a country with huge energy resources, while India owns advanced technologies, and this means that the two countries can have very good cooperation in economic, trade, technological and other fields,” said Salehi.

“We are ready for any kind of cooperation” with India, he said. Salehi also called for an expansion of trade and investment between India and Iran.