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The mood of the Iranian government and the people in general about India and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Teheran is quite upbeat with the visit being looked upon as a bench-mark of growing relations between the two ''great Asian countries''.
The warmth in the attitude of the Iranian leadership and the people was reflected in the assurance given by Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to Vajpayee during their first meeting on April 10 that Iran would warmly embrace the hand of friendship extended by India.
Government officials and people in general are also enthusiastic about the growing relationship between the two countries.
Masha and Niloufar, teachers by profession, and members of the India-Iran Friendship Association say there is now a need for all countries in the region, particularly which have traditional and historical links like India and Iran, to forget all differences and come closer for forging new cooperation in the interest of development.
Most people prefer to sidestep or ignore the ''ugly incident'' of Ayodhya in 1992 and say it was time to move ahead looking for new frontiers.
While Iranians in general look forward towards India as a growing economy, Masha and Niloufer say Iranians ''are astonished' by the progress, particularly in information technology sector, India has made in the past decade. The change was welcomed by all Iranians which explains the reason for change in Iran's overall attitude towards India, they said.
The coverage given to Vajpayee in Iranian newspapers and television also speaks volumes about the Iranian attitude towards India. Prominent dailies like the Teheran Times and Iran News prominently front-paged photographs and news about the prime minister and Khatami signing the 'historic' Teheran Declaration.
The government-controlled television also gave prominent coverage to the prime minister's visit and his meetings with Iranian leaders.
The prime minister's address to the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) was interrupted by loud applause a number of times when Vajpayee spoke about Imam Khomeini and read out the couplets of noted Iranian poet Shirazi.
Khatami also paid glowing tributes to Indian secularism and the peaceful co-existence of various communities and groups in India which he said was India's strength. He also complimented Vajpayee's '' initiative and leadership'' in this regard.
Another yardstick of Iranian understanding was that during meetings between the prime minister and Iranian leaders the Afghan issue and economic cooperation between India and Iran topped the agenda, side-stepping controversial issues. Vajpayee and Iranian leaders called for a broad-based government, the end to external interference and a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Taleban-controlled country.
During the discussions Vajpayee had with Iranian leaders, including Khatami, Majlis Speaker Mehdi Kharroobi and Foreign Minister Dr Kamal Kharrazi, since his arrival, terrorism in all its forms came under severe criticism with the two countries calling for unitedly fighting terrorism and obscurantism.
The historic Teheran Declaration lays the roadmap for future cooperation between the two countires. The declaration affirms that dialogue among civilisations, suggested by President Khatami, was a new paradigm in international relations providing a conducive ground for constructive interaction and effective cooperation.
The declaration also reaffirms commitment to the goal of achieving general and complete disarmament and emphasised the need for complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specific timeframe.
UNI
RELATED LINKS Pak-Iran relations hit new low over Vajpayee's visit India, Iran condemn international terrorism Vajpayee symbolises secularism: Khattami India, Iran sign Tehran Declaration Vajpayee asks Pak to abandon path of violence: PTI Iranian press describes PM's visit as `turning point': PTI
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