Question: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Iran on May 22-23, 2016. The president of Iran is-
(a) Ashraf Ghani
(b) Hosni Mubarak
(c) Dr. Hassan Rouhani
(d) Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Ans:(c)
Related facts:
- On May 22-23, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Iran at the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Hassan Rouhani.
- It may be noted that Modi’s visit to Iran is the first official visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years.
- Earlier Ex- Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, paid an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran from April, 10-13, 2001.
- India-Iran relations span centuries marked by meaningful interactions.
- Independent India and Iran established diplomatic links on 15 March 1950.
- India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was first to visit Iran in September 1959.
- On 23 May 2016 Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi met the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Hassan Rouhani.
- Indian Prime Minister and Iranian President lead the delegation level talks in Tehran.
- The two nations also released a Joint Statement titled Civilisational Connect, Contemporary Context.
- The MoUs and agreements were inked after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
- 12 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) and agreements in various areas including building and operating the Chabahar port by India.
The agreements/MOUs are:
1.India-Iran Cultural Exchange Programme.
2.MoU between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Iran on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks.
3.MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and the School of International Relations, Iran’s MoFA.
4.Implementation Protocol between Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of S&T and Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology on Cooperation in the Fields of Science and Technology.
5.MoU between Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Islamic Culture and Relations Organizations of the Iran.
6.Bilateral contract on Chabahar Port for port development and operations between IPGPL [India Ports Global Private Limited] and Arya Banader of Iran.
7.MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization [PMO] on current specific terms for the Chabahar Port project.
8.Confirmation Statement between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran.
9.MoU between ECGC [Export Credit Guarantee Corporation] Limited of India and the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI).
10.MoU between National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).
11.MoU between IRCON and Construction, Development of Transport and Infrastructure Company (CDTIC) of Iran.
12.MoU for cooperation between the National Archives of India and the National Library and Archives Organisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. - During his visit PM visited Bhai Ganga Singh Gurudwara in Tehran.
- He also addressed the Conference on “India and Iran, Two Great Civilizations: Retrospect and Prospects”.
- He also met the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to whom he gifted the reproduction of the seventh-century manuscript of the Holy Quran attributed to Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph.
- It was written in Kufic script, this manuscript is a prized possession of the Ministry of Culture’s Rampur Raza Library.
Reference:
http://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/media-statement-by-prime-minister-during-his-visit-to-iran/?comment=disable
http://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/remarks-by-pm-at-chabahar-connectivity-event/?comment=disable
http://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-speech-on-the-occasion-of-inauguration-of-conference-on-india-and-iran-two-great-civilizations-retrospect-and-prospects-and-release-of-rare-persian-manuscript/?comment=disable
http://pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-gift-to-the-honble-supreme-leader-of-iran-and-to-president-rouhani/?comment=disable
http://www.mea.gov.in/outoging-visit-detail.htm?26841/List+of+AgreementsMOUs+signed+during+the+visit+of+Prime+Minister+to+Iran+May+23+2016
http://www.mea.gov.in/outoging-visit-detail.htm?26825/Official+Visit+of+Prime+Minister+to+Iran+May+2223+2016
http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Iran_11_01_2016.pdf