Iran, India keen to enhance mutual cooperation

During the meeting in Tehran on Sunday, Larijani and Ansari underlined the need for the further expansion of the relations between Tehran and New Delhi. During the meeting, Larijani pointed to the current status of Iran-India relations, and said the Iranian parliament is ready to further expand bilateral ties with India, specially in parliamentary fields. “Identifying the opportunities, making proper use of the capacities and removal of the hurdles which might be impeding the improvement of the relations between the two countries play an effective role in upgrading the level of Iran-India mutual cooperation,” Larijani said. The Indian vice-president, for his part, noted the present conditions in the two countries' relations, and said, “India welcomes expansion of ties with Iran in all areas in line with the two countries’ national interests.” Ansari arrived in Tehran on Sunday to take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Iran and India which have deep historical and cultural relations are now seeking to further expand political and economic ties. India, the world's fourth-largest petroleum consumer, is Iran's second largest oil customer after China and purchases around $12bln worth of Iranian crude every year, about 12 percent of its consumption.