BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 14
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
With the accession of Uzbekistan to the Chabahar Memorandum signed between India, Afghanistan and Iran, a transit route will be established between these countries in the near future, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran and Head of the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Ali Akbar Safaei said, Trend reports citing PMO’s website.
He made the remark during a video conference with the participation of officials from India, Iran, and Uzbekistan.
In 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan signed a memorandum on the transit of goods through the Chabahar port.
“With the implementation of the ‘Chabahar Memorandum’, cargo transportation in the Chabahar port has increased significantly over the past few years. It is hoped that with the comprehensive cooperation of India, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, the activities of the Chabahar port will further increase,” Safaei noted.
The deputy minister added that Iran welcomes Uzbekistan's interest in using the opportunities of the Chabahar port and investing in the port.
During the video conference, the Indian Deputy Minister of Ports Shipping and Waterways Sanceev Ranjan said that the Chabahar Memorandum was a mechanism to ensure Afghanistan's access to international waters and develop Iran's Chabahar Port.
Ranjan noted that in recent years, the Chabahar port has become a transit hub in the region and can create a stable trade route between India and Central Asia.
"It is necessary to create a mechanism for the transit of Uzbek goods through the Chabahar port, which will allow other Central Asian countries to enter Chabahar," he said.
During the video conference, Uzbek Deputy Transport Minister Abdusamat Muminov said that the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and India increased significantly last year. The Chabahar port can play a key role in facilitating transport between the countries of the region.
Muminov stressed that he would get acquainted with the Chabahar port in the near future.
India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) is currently the operator of Iran’s Chabahar port.
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