13 May 2024
This port is India’s direct link to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Eurasia. Chabahar will connect to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which links India, Iran, and Russia.
In a critical geopolitical move, India and Iran signed an agreement to manage Chabahar Port for ten years. The discussions were triggered last August during the BRICS Summit. This is the first time India will manage an overseas port.
This port will link India and Russia via Iran, allowing India to bypass Pakistan and directly access Afghanistan and Central Asia. The new agreement will replace the original contract and automatically extend after ten years. The original contract covered only the operations at Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti terminal and renews every year. It was developed under a tripartite agreement signed between India, Iran, and Afghanistan in May 2016.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan wanted to use Chabahar to access the Indian Ocean Region. Pakistan also tried to convince Central Asian states to use Karachi Port to access the Indian Market, but India indicated that Chabahar would be a better option.