"I have arrived in Iran, a country with which we have civilizational links. I hope we can strengthen economic cooperation between our countries. I also hope that cultural and humanitarian ties between India and Iran will become stronger during this visit," Modi said on his Twitter account, writing in Farsi.
The sides are also expected to sign several bilateral contracts, however, the main deal to be signed is a trilateral Iran-India-Afghanistan accord envisioning usage of the Chabahar port in Iran. The development of the power would allow Afghanistan to get direct access to India via sea, while India would be able to reach Central Asia.
Another key issue Modi is expected to discuss is the country’s debt for oil deliveries. India is the second largest oil customer of Iran, and has been unable to pay back the money it owes, standing at $6.5 million, due to the sanctions against the Islamic republic. The sanctions have since been lifted, but Iran is still unable to carry out transactions in dollar.
On Sunday, Modi began his visit to Iran by visiting a Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, in Tehran.
