Afghan President in Iran for Chabahar accord signing

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Tehran on Monday for the signing of the trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan to develop the Chabahar port for transportation and transit corridor.

"President Ashraf Ghani has arrived in Tehran for today's signing of the Chabahar accord on international transport and transit corridor," Afghanistan's Tolo news agency reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit to Iran, will also witness the signing of the trilateral agreement along with Ghani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Earlier on Monday, India and Iran signed three bilateral agreements for the development of the strategic port.

The agreement to develop Phase I of Chabahar port is seen as India's counter to the development of the deep-sea port of Gwadar, in Balochistan in Pakistan, that opens into the Arabian Sea, close to the Strait of Hormuz, and will allow China access to the Indian Ocean.

The development of Chabahar port, located about 70 km from Gwadar, will allow India to circumvent Pakistan and open up an alternative land-sea route for its trade with Afghanistan.

India has already spent $100 million in building the 220-km Zaranj-Delaram highway in Afghanistan, also known as Route 606, which connects to Chabahar.

--IANS

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