Let us walk the path together, Kovind tells Iranian President

With a message to walk the path together, President Ram Nath Kovind today said India and Iran should join hands "firmly and decisively" to defeat the menace of terrorism and ensure peace, stability and security in the region.
In his speech at the banquet hosted in honour of visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Kovind expressed happiness over the deepening of relationship between the two countries.
He said, "Our bilateral trade has expanded. Our energy partnership is growing. Irans abundant hydrocarbon resources and Indias rapidly growing energy demand provide new opportunities."
As developing nations facing similar challenges, India and Iran have much to share and gain from each other, Kovind said.

"Our young people are our biggest strength. They are brimming with ideas, energy and entrepreneurship. We need to bring them together," the president said.
He said both the countries have shared interest in peace, stability and security in the region.

"Terrorism poses a constant and daily challenge to our peace-loving society. Our people have been suffering its violent and inhuman brutality. Let us join hands, firmly and decisively, to defeat these forces."
He assured India's complete support to Iran and said the two countries have expressed strong willingness to lift bilateral relations to a higher level.
"We have stood by Iran during difficult times, and we will continue to support and stand by you in the future. There is strong willingness in our two countries to lift our relations to a higher level," the president said and recited a couplet in Urdu which meant "where there is a will, there is a way. Let us walk the path together".

He said Iran has played an important role in connecting people, cultures and civilizations for centuries and added the Chabahar Port, the Ashgabat Agreement and the International North-South Transport Corridor together would open immense opportunities for development and prosperity, not just in Iran, India and Afghanistan, but way beyond in the larger region.
"These would directly impact the welfare of common people as we have recently seen with the wheat shipment sent to Afghanistan," he said.
The president said in Persian that Iran and India are very old friends and "we wish to remain so ever".
Kovind started his speech with Rabindranath Tagore's views about Iran who had described Persia as an everlasting inspiration. The thought and wisdom of great Persian luminaries deeply moved him.

He quoted Tagore's letter to a friend in which he had said: "Culturally speaking, Persia comes nearer to us than most Asian countries. In language, religion, literature and arts, we have very real affinity and all through the course of past history, communication of the mind has been constant."
The president said Tagore described Indo-Iranian people as 'one' who like a giant river got divided into two streams, one finding its destination to the west of Hindukush and other pouring into the plains of India.
The president said on these strong and deep-rooted cultural links, both the countries have built a modern partnership.