Pramod Bhargava, senior journalist
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi described the Chabahar port under construction in Iran with India’s cooperation as a golden door and a symbol of cooperation and expressed hope that India will continue to develop this strategic port. Only India can play an effective constructive role in this field. Araghchi was staying at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi after attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting. This came out in his bilateral talks with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
Acknowledging India’s important role in the development of this port, Araghchi said that due to US sanctions, this project has slowed down, but I am confident that this port will prove to be a golden door for India to reach Central Asia and then Europe as this traffic route. It will also become a medium for Europeans, Central Asians and others to reach the Indian Ocean. It is a very important port from strategic point of view. Apart from Iran and India, this port will also prove useful for the people of other countries. I hope that India will complete the Chabahar port project, so that other countries can also take advantage of it. Araghchi even said that India is the only country which can play an important role for peace in West Asia.
Araghchi’s statement, which came after the conference of foreign ministers of BRICS countries held in Delhi, is an indication that India is the country from which peace and inclusion can be expected, because India has friendly relations with almost all the countries of this geopolitical region, including Iran. Araghchi’s statement also needs to be seen as a global concern in the context of the growing energy and economic crisis due to the war between America, Israel and Iran. India has signed an agreement with Iran to operate the Shahid Behesti port in Chabahar. The treaty between the two countries had already signed this agreement for 10 years, but even after a few hours of signing, this agreement is in trouble due to the American sanctions imposed on Iran.
An agreement was signed between Indian Ports Global Limited and Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran on 13 May 2016. India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonobal had signed this agreement with his counterpart after reaching Iran. India Port Global Limited was to invest about $120 million. This institution of the Government of India is a subsidiary of Sagarmala Development Company. According to the company’s website, this company was brought into existence only to develop the Shahid Beheshti port located in Chabahar.
Its goal was to prepare a route to landlocked Afghanistan and Central-Asian countries. This company works from handling containers to warehousing. India Port first started operating this port at the end of 2018. Then America had imposed many wide-ranging sanctions on Iran on charges of Iran’s nuclear program, human rights violations and helping extremist organizations. Even when India conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998, America had imposed sanctions on India.
(These are the personal views of the author.)
Comments are closed.