Iran, India set to forge closer parliamentary relations: Larijani

On Sunday, Larijani described India as one of the leading players in the region, which has had long-standing parliamentary relations with Iran.

“Today, India is one of the…important economies of the region and the visit by the Iranian parliamentary delegation to the country is aimed at strengthening parliamentary relations,” he added.

The Majlis speaker stated that his trip to India, which began on February 24 and wraps up on March 1, comes at the invitation of the Speaker of the House of the People (the lower house of the Indian parliament) Meira Kumar and in response to her visit to Iran last year.

Larijani said Iranian delegates will meet and hold talks with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, and Chairman of the Council of States (the upper house of the Indian parliament) Mohammad Hamid Ansari on the expansion of political and trade interactions between Tehran and New Delhi.

He added that Iranian and Indian officials will also discuss regional and international issues of interest such as Afghanistan, the campaign against illicit drug trafficking and war on terrorism.
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