India starts sending wheat to Af via Iran's Chabahar Port
India has committed $500 million to the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman
India has been closely working with Afghanistan and Iran to create alternative, reliable access routes for trade
India has committed $500 mn to build the port to bypass Pakistan
India has committed $500 million to the Chabahar port that it is building as a way to bypass rival Pakistan and crack open a route to Afghanistan.
The shipment was flagged off from the Kandla port in Gujarat with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani joining the ceremony through video conferencing
The trilateral pact was inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tehran in May 2016
Gadkari is in Tehran to represent India at the oath taking ceremony of Prez Hassan Rouhani
Kandla port will be directly linked with Chabahar, thereby making it an important port in Asia
Gadkari had visited Tehran in May 2015 and both nations had inked pact to develop the Chabahar Port
Move assumes geopolitical significance because China is marching ahead in executing the Gwadar Port
He emphasised that it will provide impetus to the trade between India and Afghanistan
Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation's southern coast lies outside the Persian Gulf
He said that all the three nations are keen on expediting tripartite transit agreement on the Chabahar port
Despite concerns expressed by a few Senators, the Obama Administration has not expressed any objection to the recent signing of a pact by India and Iran
Iran must not be further alienated and its interests in CPEC should be developed, says retired Lt-Gen Nadeem Lodhi
A state department official said that the administration would closely examine the project
Indian investment in Phase-1 likely to be more than $200 million
The inking of the commercial contract to build and run the strategic port will help India win access to Afghanistan, Russia and Europe
The agreement to develop Phase-I of Chabahar port, to be inked during PM Modi's two-day visit to Tehran