Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal left for Iran on Monday morning to sign a deal with the Islamic Republic for the management of Iran’s Chabahar Port, which provides India a crucial transport link to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
This will be the first time when India will assume operational control of a port overseas.
India is expected to secure a long-term arrangement for the management of the Chabahar Port which will clear the way for strengthening economic ties between the two countries, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said in Mumbai on Monday.
“As and when a long-term arrangement is concluded, it will clear the pathway for bigger investments and more linkages coming out of the seaport,” he said.
India has been developing a terminal at the port in Chabahar, with a view to transport goods to not only Afghanistan but also Central Asian countries
There are also plans to link the Chabahar Port with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that connects India with Russia via Iran. This would be an alternative route bypassing the congested Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz sea lanes.
The Chabahar Port is likely to serve as a counterbalance to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port and China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
India has already started using the port to send goods to Afghanistan. Pakistan does not allow India to send its goods to Afghanistan through its territory.