India, Afghanistan, Iran meet to monitor implementation of Chabahar pact

The second meeting between officials of India, Afghanistan and Iran took place here on Friday to monitor implementation of the 2016 agreement regarding development and management of the Chabahar port in Iran, according to an official statement.

"All the three countries welcomed steady progress in port operations by India Ports Global Ltd company since the taking over of the port operations at Shaheed Beheshti Port at Chabahar in December 2018," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement on Friday.

The second meeting of the "follow-up committee" took place on Friday at the level of "joint secretary/director general" at Delhi.

The Chabahar port -- being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan -- is considered a gateway to opportunities for trade by the three countries with central Asian nations. It is located on the Indian Ocean in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran.

"It was also agreed to include Mormugoa and New Mangalore Port from India; in addition to JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai), Mundra, Kandla and Cochin as part of designated route under the Chabahar Agreement," the MEA said.

A study will be conducted by the Federation of Freight Forwarders' Associations in India (FFFAI) to streamline cargo transit through Chabahar port, they said.

The first meeting of this "follow-up committee" took place on October 23 last year.

"It was agreed to finalise the protocol to harmonise transit, roads, customs and consular matters...It was agreed to organise promotional and business events in Afghanistan and India to popularise the Chabahar port," the MEA said on Friday.

The Chabahar port, which is easily accessible from India's western coast, is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port which is being developed with the Chinese investment.

The third meeting of the "follow-up committee" will take place in first half of 2020, the MEA said.