BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 8. Iran, while being a pro-Islamic state, is deepening cooperation with India, a study by Donald Berlin at Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies said, Trend reports.
One particular issue that raises concern is an agreement on defense cooperation between Iran and India, given India's tense relations with another Islamic country, Pakistan.
"Security relations appear to have been initiated in 2001 when Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Iran and he and President Khatami issued a joint declaration in which they agreed to cooperate in maintaining peace and stability in the region. This was followed by the visit to India of Iranian President Khatami in January 2003 at which time the two nations signed a number of agreements including a "Memorandum of Understanding on the Road Map to Strategic Cooperation." The memo states that India and Iran will explore opportunities for cooperation in defense in agreed areas, including training and exchange of visits. It also states that India-Iran defense cooperation is not aimed against any third country," the research said.
Considering this fact, Iranian propaganda of the Islamic world becomes more deceptive. A country, that proclaims its Islamic beliefs so hard, in return for energy, transport cooperation and much more, is basically willing to go against Pakistan, a country with world's second-largest Muslim population.