Chabahar port inaugurated, Iran looks to be key transit route to Central Asia

December 4, 2017: The first phase of Iran’s Chabahar port has opened for business, giving way to the new strategic transit route between Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani on Sunday inaugurated the newly-built extension of the port in the presence of dignitaries from India, Afghanistan, Qatar and Pakistan.

A day earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reportedly held a meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Javed Zarif, in Tehran to review the implementation of the Chabahar Port.

India, Afghanistan, and Iran last year decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries. India committed up to $500 million for the development of the Chahabar Port along with associated roads and rail lines.

The Iranian port of Chabahar will help ramp up the trade between India, Afghanistan and Iran in the wake of Pakistan denying the facilities due to strained ties.

Photo Caption: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani poses during the inauguration of a newly built extension of the port of Chabahar (Photo: AP)