Sputnik - Participation in the development of Chabahar Port will provide India with an alternative and reliable access route into Afghanistan, utilizing India�s earlier investment in Afghanistan�s Zaranj-Delaram road, and also yield a more direct sea-road access route into the Central Asian Region.




New Delhi (Sputnik):�Despite renewed US sanctions on�Iran, India is making every effort to�make the strategic Chabahar port in�South-eastern Iran on�the Gulf of�Oman operational; this would make the CIS more accessible to�India. Nitin Gadkari, India's Minister for�Shipping, announced on�Friday that the government aims to�operationalize the Iranian port, in�which it has made heavy investments, by�the year 2019.
"India is trying to�make Chabahar Port in�Iran operational by�2019�The opening up�of the Chabahar Port would make the CIS countries more accessible,"�India's Minister for�Shipping Nitin Gadkari said�while addressing the Indian Diaspora in�Dushanbe on�Friday.


The Indian-backed Chabahar port complex in�Iran will provide India much-needed access to�landlocked, mineral-rich Afghanistan, opening avenues for�trade worth millions of�dollars. Presently, India's bilateral trade with�CIS countries and Afghanistan is solely dependent on�the route that crosses through�Pakistan, and thereby subject to�the fortune of�often-hostile relations between�Delhi and Islamabad.
"Chabahar Port has the potential to�become a regional transit hub for�Afghanistan and eastern Central Asian Countries. It is expected that the volume of�trade will increase substantially following�the commencement of�operations at�Shahid�� Beheshti Chabahar Port,"India's ministry of�shipping stated in�a press release.


India has chosen an Iranian company, Kaveh Port and Marine Services, to�run the Chabahar port for�18 months for�an interim period starting June 13.

The Indian government has also eased the rules for�Indian companies hoping to�manage, operate and maintain the containers and multi-purpose terminals at�the Chabahar port for�the next ten years.

India and Iran have already been discussing strategies to�withstand US sanctions. In the last week of�May, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj sat for�talks in�New Delhi on�this issue and discussed various options, including Rupee-Rial trade, so that bilateral trade between�the two countries could continue without�a blip.

India Ports Global Private Ltd and Iran's Arya Banader had signed a commercial contract for�the development and operation of�Chabahar Port in�May 2016. As per the contract, India is constructing two terminals (five berths) at�Chabahar Port with�an investment of $85 million for�procurement of�port equipment. Additionally, India is providing Iran a $150 million loan through�the Export-Import Bank of�India (EXIM Bank) for�the development of�Chabahar Port.