Iranian president Hassan Rouhani poses during the inauguration of Chabahar port near the Pakistani border in Iran on Sunday. Photo: APNew Delhi: Iranian president Hassan Rouhani on Sunday inaugurated a $1 billion extension of its southeastern Chabahar port which Tehran hopes will help the country become a key transit route to land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia. Partnering with Iran in the port development project is India, which is hoping to use the route to bypass Pakistan and reach Afghanistan and landlocked Central Asia. While India and Iran are signatories to the port development project, a second agreement on connectivity was also signed by India, Iran and Afghanistan. ■ The Chabahar port also will boost India’s access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.

Source: Mint December 04, 2017 05:03 UTC