India, Iran reach pact to further develop Chabahar port as minister Jaishankar visits

In a significant development, India and Iran on Monday (Jan 15) reached an agreement on further development of Chabahar port. The move came following visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's meeting with Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash where the two held discussions over establishing a "long-term cooperation framework" for the port, a strategic maritime facility situated on the southeastern coast of Iran.

Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Iran as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides, took to his official X account and shared that both the ministers also exchanged views on the International North-South Transport Corridor.

"Began my engagements in Tehran by meeting Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash. Detailed and productive discussion on establishing a long-term cooperation framework with respect to Chabahar port. Also exchanged views on the International North-South Transport Corridor," he wrote.

Began my engagements in Tehran by meeting Minister of Roads and Urban Development @mehrdadbazrpash.

Detailed and productive discussion on establishing a long-term cooperation framework with respect to Chabahar port. Also exchanged views on the International North-South… pic.twitter.com/mDBxfHV690 — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 15, 2024

Bazrpash additionally proposed setting up a joint transport committee for the expansion of bilateral cooperation, stating that the formation of the committee would boostthe transit capabilitiesand usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as per Iran's Tasnim News Agency.

In August 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation and leveraging Chabahar Port to its full potential as a centre for connectivity.

"The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation including to realize the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub," Prime Minister's Office said in a press release.

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Chabahar Port and India's connectivity initiatives

The Iranian port of Chabahar plays a significant role in India's connectivity initiatives as it provides a more economical and stable route for trade between India, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

INSTC is a multi-modal transportation route that connects the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea via Iran and then travels via St. Petersburg, Russia, to northern Europe.

According to MEA, India has utilised the Chabahar port to ship 75,000 MTs of wheat as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan in the year 2020. In 2021, India supplied 40,000 litres of environment-friendly pesticides to Iran to fight the locust menace. The port has also been utilised by the Central Asian Countries to access the global market and has increased trade and economic opportunities for the traders of the region.

(With inputs from agencies)