Speaking at the meeting, which was also attended by President Hassan Rouhani, the Leader referred to the long history of Iran-India relations in cultural and economic areas and said that there is a wide variety of areas in which Iran and India can cooperate. He added: “The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes extension of ties with India, which is one of the emerging and progressive economies in the world. Iran seriously pursues implementation of bilateral agreements and it will not be influenced by any politics in this regard.”
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to India’s good economic prospects and Iran’s vast oil and gas reserves, adding: “Besides oil and gas, as you pointed out, Chabahar is an important region that connects the east to the west and the north to the south, which can prepare the ground for deep, long-lasting and valuable cooperation.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that India has appropriately adopted a general policy to avoid western and American so-called anti-terror alliances. He reiterated: “A real and serious fight on terrorism is another area in which Iran and India can cooperate because certain western countries are not serious in their efforts to counter terrorism and they have played a role in the formation of terrorist movements in Afghanistan as well as terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.”
His Eminence stressed that fighting the kind of terrorism that has emerged in the name of Islam must be entrusted to Muslims and Muslim countries, further adding: “Of course, only those Islamic countries that do not follow the policies of America and the west should participate in this battle. This is because those countries that follow American policies have no intention of engaging in a real and serious fight against terrorists.”
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is serious in its fight against terrorism and it will utilize all its resources to counter terrorism.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that terrorist organizations and groups take advantage of certain problems and weaknesses in Islamic communities to recruit new members. He stressed that it is necessary for Muslim countries to eliminate these problems and weaknesses.
His Eminence described terrorism as a dangerous and contagious disease and reiterated: “It is possible to counter and curb terrorism, just as it is possible to curb any contagious disease.”
In the meeting, the Prime Minister of India referred to Ayatollah Khamenei’s trip to India in the year 1979 and said that it could prepare the ground for deepening Iran-India relations. “Good agreements have been reached during this visit and great decisions have been made and I am confident that good results will be achieved thanks to the determination of the two sides.”
Narendra Modi stressed Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements regarding the threat that terrorism poses and the need to seriously fight terrorism, adding: “Unfortunately, certain countries have categorized terrorism into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and they only pay lip service to fighting terrorism.”
The Prime Minister of India stressed that Islam is the religion of love and kindness and that it has no connection with terrorism. He reiterated: “A few years ago, India proposed the idea of organizing an international conference on fighting terrorism with the presence of Islamic countries, which was faced with opposition from certain western countries.”
He added: “It is necessary that the countries which are serious in their fight against terror come together and cooperate closely with one another.”
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