INDIA PROPOSES INCLUSION OF CHABAHAR PORT IN INT’L CORRIDOR
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday proposed the inclusion of Iran’s Chabahar port in the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200km multi-mode route spanning 13 countries, and also called for Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to be made part of the corridor.
Chabahar port, where an Indian state-run firm operates a terminal, is a key part of India’s plans to enhance connectivity to Afghanistan and the Central Asian states. The port played an important role in shipping humanitarian aid to Afghanistan amid the Covid-19 pandemic and India recently supplied heavy cranes to boost its capabilities.
Addressing the virtual “Chabahar Day” event organised on the margins of the Maritime India Summit 2021, external affairs minister S Jaishankar and minister of state for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya spoke about plans to include the Iranian port in INSTC.
Jaishankar welcomed the interest shown by Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in joining the multilateral corridor and said: “Establishing an eastern corridor through Afghanistan would maximise its potential.”
He added, “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.”
Mandaviya proposed the meeting of the INSTC coordination council meeting, which was to be held last year but was put off because of the pandemic, should be held virtually to take things forward. “Chabahar port is part of our shared commitment to the peace, stability and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan,” Mandaviya said.
CHABAHAR PORT IS KEY IN INDIA’S PLANS TO BOOST CONNECTIVITY TO AFGHANISTAN AND CENTRAL ASIAN STATES