Media Inquiries 404-840-0415|dynomuse@aol.com

Chabahar Port Agreement

Home/Chabahar Port Agreement

Chabahar Port Agreement

On December 3, 2017, the first phase of construction of the port was inaugurated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. [75] The E`temad newspaper adds that Modi`s visit and the signing of agreements on joint projects, energy and connectivity “will ring in Islamabad, China and Riyadh.” March 9, 2016 – China announces that it will build an additional 3.2 km of mooring in the port of Gwadar. On October 29, 2017, the first expedition was sent through the port of India en route to Afghanistan. [57] In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the route, India is expected to ship seven shipments of wheat to Afghanistan by the end of January 2018. [74] Meanwhile, the two nations have also signed cooperation agreements in the fields of aeronautics, biotechnology, nanotechnology and counter-terrorism. India had initially proposed a plan to build a 900 km Chabahar-Zahedan-Hajigak railway line linking Chabahar to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan. [58] [59] In 2011, seven Indian companies acquired the rights to dismantle the Hajigak region of central Afghanistan, which contains Asia`s largest iron ore deposit. The Indian government had pledged $2 billion to develop supporting infrastructure. [32] In May 2016, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed to finance the planned Chabahar-Zahedan railway section of the Chabahar-Zahedan-Hajigak railway line[60] as part of the North-South Corridor by the Ircon International public unit of the Indian Railway. [61] February 18, 2013 – Pakistan awards the operating order for the port of Gwadar to china Overseas Port Holding Company, a Chinese state-run company. State-owned construction company Ircon has signed an agreement for the transfer of a railway line from Chabahar port to Zahedan and Nalco to examine the possibility of building a 0.5 million ton aluminum smelter in the Chabahar Free Trade Zone, provided Iran gives cheap natural gas.

Iran, India and Afghanistan signed a trilateral transit agreement in 2016 allowing the transfer of Indian goods to Afghanistan via the port of Chabahar, ending India`s dependence on Pakistani ports. The economic impact of the US policy of “maximum pressure” on the Chabahar project has been severe. Delhi has repeatedly failed to attract a private sector partner for freight operations in the port. Western companies have largely refused to invest in much-needed equipment. From the port of Chabahar, Iran`s existing road network can lead to Zaranj, Afghanistan. This road can then be connected to the 218 km Zaranj-Delaram road – built by India in 2009 for a price of Rs 680 billion – and finally to the Afghan Garland Highway. In January 2018, Iran and India signed a $2 billion deal for rail cooperation. Part of the deal is for a $600 million memorandum of understanding for Iran to buy locomotives and freight cars from India. [76] “The bilateral agreement on the development of Chabahar Port and related infrastructure and the availability of approximately $500 million from India for this purpose is an important milestone.

About the Author: