Tehran, Feb 10 (IANS): Iran is committed to its good bilateral ties with India and is ready to cooperate more closely with the Indian private sector, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday.

In a meeting with visiting Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval, the president said Tehran welcomed further expansion of cooperation with New Delhi, which strengthens peace and security in the region, state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Referring to the development of Chabahar port, the implementation of Chabahar-Zahedan Railway project, and expanding the Port of Jask to make it an important oil exporting port, Rouhani said Iran was ready to cooperate more closely with the Indian private sector.

Rouhani also referred to other fields of cooperation, including ports development, making the North-South Corridor, petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals industry, medical equipment, scientific and research cooperation and called for exploiting all potential to develop the bilateral ties.

Doval said Asia would have an important role in international developments in the future and Iran along with countries such as China and India should play their roles in economic and political fields.

He said Chabahar could become the North-South Corridor in the region and New Delhi looked to it as a place for quick development of relations.