NEW DELHI (CU)_India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (March 4), proposed the inclusion of the Chabahar port in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as the South Asian nation underlined the need for enhancing connectivity for development.
The location of the Chabahar port, in the Sistan-Balochistan province, has a strategic advantage and ability to provide connectivity among India, Iran, Uzbekistan and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries.
Participating in the Maritime India Summit 2021, Jaishankar elaborated on the importance of the Chabahar port, pointing to the shift in global economic growth towards Asia, which is creating unprecedented opportunities for connectivity in the region. The minister said that New Delhi has proposed the inclusion of the port in the INSTC route, an important trade corridor project, launched by India and 12 other countries, including Iran and Russia.
“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,” Jaishankar said.
The minister noted that in the modern age, as the correlation between connectivity and economic growth has become more significant than ever, and growth in trade, commerce and industrial development are going hand in hand with the ease of connectivity.
According to Jaishankar, maritime connectivity, in particular, has been playing a significant role in regional corridors for trade and economic connectivity, as well as intellectual and cultural exchanges over centuries. Recognising the significance of such regional connectivity, New Delhi decided to undertake an overseas port investment in Chabahar, he added.
Following lengthy discussions between the member states, India, Iran and Afghanistan entered into a trilateral agreement to establish an International Transport and Transit Corridor, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran in 2016.
Apart from Jaishankar and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, several other ministers from Iran, Russia, Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan participated in the virtual event on Thursday.
