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TEHRAN, Feb. 17-- Iran and India signed nine agreements on Saturday to expand bilateral economic ties, with focus on the development and utilization of Iran's strategic Chabahar Port. The agreements were signed in the presence of Iranian President Rouhani and Indian Prime Minister Modi in the Indian capital on Saturday. According to a major agreement, Iran awarded the operation of its southern port, Shahid Beheshti port, to India; a move that could enable India to dodge Pakistan and reach markets in Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond. Based on the deal, Iran would grant the operational control of Shahid Beheshti, in Chabahar port city on the northern side of the Sea of Oman, to India for 18 months, Press TV reported. In a joint press conference with Modi on Saturday, Rouhani said that Chabahar could reinforce Iran and India's historical ties by serving as a bridge connecting the subcontinent to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. "We are ready to sign bilateral and trilateral agreements to turn the transit route passing through Chabahar into a strategic pathway serving the reinforcement of regional ties," he said. Modi said that the expansion of connectivity is important for New Delhi, and that his country is also interested in the construction of a rail link between Chabahar and Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, a crucial link that India would need to expand its reach northward. | 
