India, Iran plan to operationalise Chabahar Port
TEHRAN, August 7, 2017
India and Iran have expressed commitment to operationalise the strategic Chabahar Port at the earliest, with the aim of boosting bilateral trade and ties, said a report.
India's Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, who was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Hassan Rouhani's second term as the President of Iran, extended an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rouhani to visit India, added the Iran Daily News report.
He also handed over a letter of felicitation to him and held talks with him and other Iranian officials.
In the meetings, the two sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in implementing the decisions taken during Modi's visit to Iran last year, including the progress on the development of Chabahar Port, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise the port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets, added the statement.
Hopeful of rolling out infrastructure projects in Iran and Afghanistan, Gadkari said that once Chabahar port in Iran becomes operational, there will be no looking back as it will be a gateway to golden opportunities.