Chabahar Port to help Afghanistan, other nations reduce logistics cost: Govt

NEW DELHI: Chabahar Port will help Afghanistan and other countries in the region to bring down their logistics costs and develop a transit hub for connectivity between India and Eurasia, the government said on Thursday.

Located in Sistan-Balochistan province on the energyrich Iran’s southern coast, the port is being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost trade ties.

Chabahar Port lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India’s western coast, bypassing Pakistan.

Chabahar Port is a joint effort of India, Iran and Afghanistan to support landlocked Afghanistan by giving access to the open seas, optimising logistics cost by bringing in efficiency and create a reliable and safe transport corridor, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya said while addressing a session organised to commemorate the Chabahar Day at Maritime India Summit 2021.

Further, the project also aims to develop a transit hub for close the connectivity between India and Eurasia, he added.

“Chabahar Port is part of our shared commitment towards peace, stability, and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan,” Mandaviya said.

“The 21st century will not belong to the land. It will be a century of the sea, skies and space. In keeping with the high priority that we attach to enhancing regional connectivity between India, Central Asia and beyond,” he added

Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Ports of Shipping and Waterways, said the Maritime India Vision 2030’s emphasis is on boosting productivity, improving performance, connectivity and reducing logistics cost by adopting cost reductive processes.

The operationalisation of the Chabahar Port will help bring down the logistics cost for Afghanistan and the other countries in the region.

It will enable Afghanistan to boost its trade not only with India but also with other countries and greatly promote regional cooperation, the official said.