Modi, Rouhani meet on the sidelines of BRICS and SCO summits

Ufa (Russia), Jul 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today met here on the sidelines of the BRICS and SCO summits and discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interests.

"India-Iran friendship discussed at the meeting between PM @narendramodi and President of Iran, @HassanRouhani," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted along with a picture of Modi shaking hands with Rouhani. This is the first-highest level interaction between the two countries after the NDA government came to power in May last year.

Earlier, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted, "Advancing a significant partnershp. PM @narendramodi meets President @HassanRouhani on sidelines of BRICS/SCO Summits."

Swarup also tweeted two pictures of the meeting between the two leaders this morning. In May, Modi had sent a written message to Rouhani that was handed over to the Iranian president by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in Tehran.

Rouhani had at the time hailed the friendly and historical relations between the two nations. In Tehran, Gadkari had signed an agreement with Iran for the development of the strategically important Chabahar port in Sistan-Balochistan Province which will give India sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.

PTI