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Development plan of Iran's Chabahar port 52 percent complete

Business Materials 8 September 2014 17:15 (UTC +04:00)

Tehran, Iran, Sept. 8

By Milad Fashtami - Trend:

The first phase of Iranian Chabahar port's development plan is now 52 percent complete, Deputy Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Saeednejad said.

He added that once the project comes on stream the port's capacity will reach 6 million tons, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported on September 8.

Ali Jahandideh, the deputy head of the Ports and Maritime Organization, previously said that the country plans to develop the southeastern port of Chabahar with or without India's cooperation.

Jahandideh said that India has been raising the issue of investment in Chabahar on the east coast of the Sea of Oman for years but no deal has been signed yet.

The port is of strategic importance to India as Pakistan does not allow transit facility from India to Afghanistan.

Afghan envoy to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said last week that India has earmarked $100 million for the development of Chabahar port in Iran so as to improve trade with Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries.

"Ultimately the port connects Central Asia with South Asia. And we have in-principle agreed. The draft has been circulated, and India has already pledged $100 million for upgrading the port," Abdali told PTI.

Abdali said that because of the problems related to ports in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan decided to use the Chabahar port for import and export of goods.

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