Tehran, Iran, June 5
Trend:
While India is considering its further participation in the development of Chabahar port in Iran, many experts claim that the role of the country remains unclear in many aspects.
Gholamreza Panah, deputy head of economic and investment at Chabahar Free Zone, commented on the role of India in implementation of Chabahar Port development project in an interview with Trend.
"The presence of India in Chabahar is divided into two major activities. The first is related to payment for rent of part Shahid Beheshti jetty and India's investments in the project. The second includes study of Chabahar port capacities, and so far a good progress has been achieved," he said.
"When the railway in this area is completed, the presence of Indians will be more visible. The jetty is currently ready, but the infrastructures for transit of goods from Chabahar to other regions, particularly to Central Asia, have yet to be built," he added.
He went on to say, "The study conducted by the Indian side will strengthen their presence in Chabahar project. Our Indian partners already completed a number of studies on the potential of various areas of energy, gas and steel industries.”
The deputy head of economic and investment at Chabahar Free Zone also talked about factors that limit India's role in Chabahar project. According to him, Indians seek to work on transferring CNG or LNG from Iran to India; therefore, they wait for gas flow in Chabahar and continue their work to maintain their presence until the gas arrives in Chabahar.
"Given the advantages of delivering CNG or LNG to India for the country, they are ready to invest in the project. Currently, gas cannot be supplied to Chabahar due to the sanctions and lack of infrastructure. Hopefully, efforts of the Indian partners will help to commission the gas network, which is the most effective route for delivering gas to Central Asia and Afghanistan,” he said.
"There are good prospects for Indians’ further active participation in the project. However, there is delay in their work in Chabahar, as we have not completed construction of necessary infrastructure," he added.