India has proposed the inclusion of the key Chabahar port in the mega&nbsp;International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that connects Mumbai with Moscow.&nbsp;

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Speaking at "Chabahar day" hosted by India on the sidelines of the International Maritime Summit, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, "India has also proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route. I am hopeful that during the INSTC Coordination Council meeting, member states would agree to the expansion of the INSTC route to include the Chabahar Port and also agree on expanding the membership of this project."

Chabahar is key to India's connectivity towards its west, providing routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia while&nbsp;North-South Transport Corridor&nbsp;made up of rail, shipping, and road route currently passes via cities like Bandar Abbad, Bandar Anzali, Tehran in Iran, Baku in Azerbaijan and Astrakhan in Russia.

More than 10 countries are part of the corridor, with more countries keen to join it.&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Afghanistan, both landlocked countries, are keen on joining the connectivity project. Uzbekistan had proposed joining the project during the India-Uzbekistan virtual summit last year.

Highlighting Chabahar's role in connectivity, Jaishankar said it "has not only emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region but also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic" and "part of our shared commitment towards peace, stability, and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan."&nbsp;

Last year amid the pandemic, India had used the Chabahar port to send 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan and&nbsp;25 MT of the pesticide Malathion to Iran to deal with locust invasion.

Minister of State for Ports,&nbsp;Mansukh Mandaviya, whose ministry coordinated the maritime summit said, "Chabahar Port is a joint effort of the governments of India, Iran and Afghanistan, to support landlocked Afghanistan by giving access to the open seas, optimising logistic cost by bringing in efficiency and create a reliable and safe transport corridor."

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Ministers from six countries -- Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan&nbsp;and Uzbekistan -- took part in the "Chabahar day".&nbsp;

Transport Minister of Afghanistan Qudratullah Zaki, Armenia's Infrastructure Minister Suren Papikyan, Iran's Minister of Roads Mohammad Eslami, Russia's Deputy Minister of Industry Oleg N Ryazantsev and Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Transport Choriyev Jasurbek Ergashevich were present at the day-long virtual meet.&nbsp;

India has proposed the inclusion of the key Chabahar port in the mega International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that connects Mumbai with Moscow. Speaking at "Chabahar day" hosted by India on the sidelines of the International Maritime Summit, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, "India has also proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route.

India has proposed the inclusion of the key Chabahar port in the mega International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that connects Mumbai with Moscow. Speaking at "Chabahar day" hosted by India on the sidelines of the International Maritime Summit, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, "India has also proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route. I am hopeful that during the INSTC Coordination Council meeting, member states would agree to the expansion of the INSTC route to include the Chabahar Port and also agree on expanding the membership of this project." Chabahar is key to India's connectivity towards its west, providing routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia while North-South Transport Corridor made up of rail, shipping, and road route currently passes via cities like Bandar Abbad, Bandar Anzali, Tehran in Iran, Baku in Azerbaijan and Astrakhan in Russia. More than 10 countries are part of the corridor, with more countries keen to join it. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, both landlocked countries, are keen on joining the connectivity project. Uzbekistan had proposed joining the project during the India-Uzbekistan virtual summit last year. Highlighting Chabahar's role in connectivity, Jaishankar said it "has not only emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region but also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic" and "part of our shared commitment towards peace, stability, and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan." Last year amid the pandemic, India had used the Chabahar port to send 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan and 25 MT of the pesticide Malathion to Iran to deal with locust invasion. Minister of State for Ports, Mansukh Mandaviya, whose ministry coordinated the maritime summit said, "Chabahar Port is a joint effort of the governments of India, Iran and Afghanistan, to support landlocked Afghanistan by giving access to the open seas, optimising logistic cost by bringing in efficiency and create a reliable and safe transport corridor." Ministers from six countries -- Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan -- took part in the "Chabahar day". Transport Minister of Afghanistan Qudratullah Zaki, Armenia's Infrastructure Minister Suren Papikyan, Iran's Minister of Roads Mohammad Eslami, Russia's Deputy Minister of Industry Oleg N Ryazantsev and Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Transport Choriyev Jasurbek Ergashevich were present at the day-long virtual meet.

India proposes inclusion of Chabahar port in North-South Transport Corridor........

India proposes inclusion of Chabahar port in North-South Transport Corridor

The first phase of the strategic Chabahar port which has been developed by India will be inaugurated by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani today.

Representatives from India, Afghanistan and a few other countries in the region will also be in attendance.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday made a stopover in Iran on her way back from Russia to meet Iran foreign minister of&nbsp;Dr Javed Zarif in Tehran. The two counterparts discussed the implementation of the Chabahar port.

The port will bypass Pakistan to open a trade and transport route to landlocked Afghanistan.&nbsp;

India has committed $500 million to the Chabahar port which is expected to boost trade relations between India, Afghanistan and Iran, and will also give access to India to the resource-rich countries of central Asia.

New Delhi plans to send seven shipments of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar by the end of January, Reuters earlier reported, adding that the port is being viewed by Iran critics US and the United Kingdom as a transport corridor to Afghanistan rather than for advancing Iran&#39;s agenda in the Middle-East.

The first shipment of wheat arrived last week from India&#39;s Kandla port in Gujarat, after years of political wrangling with Pakistan, government officials in New Delhi and Kabul told Reuters. The wheat will be trucked from Chabahar to western Afghanistan.

The United States, which wants India to do more to help stabilise Afghanistan through economic and security assistance, has held off public criticism of India&#39;s efforts to develop the Iranian corridor.

India&#39;s ties with Iran came up in New Delhi last month during talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who said America would not stand in the way of projects that help the Iranian people.

The government has set up the India Global Ports Ltd (IGPL) to lead the Chabahar project.

The IGPL has held talks with Iranian authorities to begin interim operations, an Indian government source earlier told Reuters.

In August, the IGPL applied for permission to establish a company to run the port, the source said. The plan is for IGPL to build two new terminals, one for container vessels and one for multipurpose ships.

The first phase is known as the Shahid Beheshti port.

Iran has reportedly asked the Indian government to operate the first phase until work for the second phase is finalised.

(With inputs from Reuters) 
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The first phase of the project will be inaugurated by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani today

The first phase of the strategic Chabahar port which has been developed by India will be inaugurated by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani today. Representatives from India, Afghanistan and a few other countries in the region will also be in attendance. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday made a stopover in Iran on her way back from Russia to meet Iran foreign minister of Dr Javed Zarif in Tehran. The two counterparts discussed the implementation of the Chabahar port. The port will bypass Pakistan to open a trade and transport route to landlocked Afghanistan. India has committed $500 million to the Chabahar port which is expected to boost trade relations between India, Afghanistan and Iran, and will also give access to India to the resource-rich countries of central Asia. New Delhi plans to send seven shipments of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar by the end of January, Reuters earlier reported, adding that the port is being viewed by Iran critics US and the United Kingdom as a transport corridor to Afghanistan rather than for advancing Iran's agenda in the Middle-East. The first shipment of wheat arrived last week from India's Kandla port in Gujarat, after years of political wrangling with Pakistan, government officials in New Delhi and Kabul told Reuters. The wheat will be trucked from Chabahar to western Afghanistan. The United States, which wants India to do more to help stabilise Afghanistan through economic and security assistance, has held off public criticism of India's efforts to develop the Iranian corridor. India's ties with Iran came up in New Delhi last month during talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who said America would not stand in the way of projects that help the Iranian people. The government has set up the India Global Ports Ltd (IGPL) to lead the Chabahar project. The IGPL has held talks with Iranian authorities to begin interim operations, an Indian government source earlier told Reuters. In August, the IGPL applied for permission to establish a company to run the port, the source said. The plan is for IGPL to build two new terminals, one for container vessels and one for multipurpose ships. The first phase is known as the Shahid Beheshti port. Iran has reportedly asked the Indian government to operate the first phase until work for the second phase is finalised. (With inputs from Reuters)

Chabahar port, developed by India, to be inaugurated today in Iran

India, Iran and Afghanistan are keen on expediting the agreement on Chabahar port which will open a new gateway for their development and connectivity, India&#39;s senior minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

A transit deal on the Chabahar port in Iran will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe by bypassing Pakistan. India will invest $500 million to develop the port after a pact was signed with Iran in May.

Afghanistan signed a transport and transit pact with India and Iran in order to augment business opportunities between the three countries.&nbsp;

&quot;We are keen on expanding scope of cooperation to cover development of entire Chabahar Port...This port is going to open a new gateway not only for the development of India but at the same time development of Afghanistan and Iran. This is a win-win situation,&quot; shipping, road transport and highways minister Gadkari told PTI after holding a meeting with delegates from Iran and Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Today&#39;s meeting was held barely&nbsp;a fortnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, during their talks here, had emphasised on accelerating&nbsp;the trilateral pact.

&quot;We will try to complete the project within the time schedule. We are also finding out what are the new things for which we will have opportunity for development and investment. The Iranian minister has given lots of innovative suggestions regarding the development of business,&quot; Gadkari said.

&quot;We are in the process and our prime minister is very keen on the project...The distance between Kandla to Chabahar is less than the distance between Delhi to Mumbai. So there are lots of opportunities. Gas and petroleum products in Iran are available. We will get the market of Afghanistan also and the material from Afghanistan to Chabahar will be accessible to India.&quot;&nbsp;

Gadkari and the visiting ministers today pored over the contract today in a bid to finish the project on time.

They also stressed on the need for expanding scope of cooperation to cover development of entire Chabahar port, projects for funding by EXIM Bank of India and reviewing participation of India in the Chabahar-Zahedan rail construction project.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

India's senior minister Nitin Gadkari said the country was committed to developing the Chabahar port in Iran

India, Iran and Afghanistan are keen on expediting the agreement on Chabahar port which will open a new gateway for their development and connectivity, India's senior minister Nitin Gadkari said today. A transit deal on the Chabahar port in Iran will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe by bypassing Pakistan. India will invest $500 million to develop the port after a pact was signed with Iran in May. Afghanistan signed a transport and transit pact with India and Iran in order to augment business opportunities between the three countries. "We are keen on expanding scope of cooperation to cover development of entire Chabahar Port...This port is going to open a new gateway not only for the development of India but at the same time development of Afghanistan and Iran. This is a win-win situation," shipping, road transport and highways minister Gadkari told PTI after holding a meeting with delegates from Iran and Afghanistan. Today's meeting was held barely a fortnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, during their talks here, had emphasised on accelerating the trilateral pact. "We will try to complete the project within the time schedule. We are also finding out what are the new things for which we will have opportunity for development and investment. The Iranian minister has given lots of innovative suggestions regarding the development of business," Gadkari said. "We are in the process and our prime minister is very keen on the project...The distance between Kandla to Chabahar is less than the distance between Delhi to Mumbai. So there are lots of opportunities. Gas and petroleum products in Iran are available. We will get the market of Afghanistan also and the material from Afghanistan to Chabahar will be accessible to India." Gadkari and the visiting ministers today pored over the contract today in a bid to finish the project on time. They also stressed on the need for expanding scope of cooperation to cover development of entire Chabahar port, projects for funding by EXIM Bank of India and reviewing participation of India in the Chabahar-Zahedan rail construction project. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India, Iran and Afghanistan look to expedite Chabahar pact