Tehran, Iran, December 3
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
The newly inaugurated Shahid Beheshti Port in Iran’s Chabahar Free Zone will reduce the cost of transit to the neighboring country of Afghanistan by 50 percent, Ali Rajabi, the director of the free zone’s commerce affairs told Trend December 3.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of the country's strategic Chahbahar Port, opening up a transit route between Iran, Afghanistan and India that bypasses Pakistan.
The first phase of the project, known as the $340 million Shahid Beheshti port, is being seen as a reinforcement of mutual and regional cooperation between Iran and India. It was inaugurated in the presence of dignitaries from India, Afghanistan, Qatar and Pakistan.
Rajabi noted that the newly opened port will provide the “shortest and safest” route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, reducing transit cost and time for the land-surrounded countries.
He stated that via Shahid Beheshti Port, Afghanistan will also benefit a 30 percent reduction in transit time compared to the routes the country is currently using.
“This port can work as workfellow with ports in neighboring countries. Attempt has been made to provide for the needs of the land-surrounded countries via cooperation with other neighbors,” he said.
According to the official, the new port is able to berth ocean-going ships of up to 100,000 tons of weight.
A day earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javed Zarif, in Tehran to review the implementation of the Chabahar Port.
A strategic port, Chabahar is being developed by to open a trade route to Afghanistan and central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. The Chabahar port is crucial as Pakistan does not allow India to send goods to Iran and Afghanistan through its territory by land. It is also expected to act as a counter to the Gwadar port in Pakistan, barely 100 km away, which is being developed by China. India has committed to the $500 million to the project.