The defense minister of Iran stressed the need for closer relations with India considering the major role that the two countries can play in linking the Indian Ocean to the North-South corridor.

Speaking to reporters after arriving in India�s Bangalore on Tuesday evening, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said Iran and India are two major countries in the region that have maintained stable ties throughout years of interaction.

�The link between the Indian Ocean and the North-South Corridor and connection with the Central Asian states and the Caucasus are the grounds for which we need to pursue broadened relations,� he added.

Highlighting the close cooperation between Tehran and New Delhi in light of their cultural and historical commonalities, the defense minister said the bilateral ties are of special significance considering India�s long coastlines and Iran�s strategic position near the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Indian Ocean.

General Hatami is in India to attend a meeting of the defense ministers of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

He is going to hold meetings on the sidelines of the event with senior political and military officials of India on the expansion of political, security and defense ties between the two countries.

Apart from a speech to the ministerial meeting of the Indian Ocean Region, the Iranian general will participate in the opening of the biennial Aero India air show in Bangalore.