CHABAHAR PORT

• Recently, the External Minister of India replied in the Parliament that the US sanctions on Iran have no bearing on India’s Chabahar port project and the port is functioning well.
• The US has given separate exceptions for the strategic Chabahar port project.

Important points:

• It is located in the Indian Ocean in the Sistan province of Iran.
• The Chabahar port is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries.
• The 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 Chinese investment.

Importance for India:

• Alternate Route: Chabahar Port provides an option of alternate supply route to everyone, thus reducing the importance of Pakistan with respect to trade.
• Strategic Requirements: It is located on the Gulf of Oman and is only 72 km away from the Gwadar port in Pakistan which has been developed by China.
• China is aggressively pursuing its own Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) under the One Belt One Road (OBOR) project.
• Connectivity: In future, the Chabahar project and the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) will complement each other by optimising Indian connectivity with Russia and Eurasia.
• Also, it gives India direct access to Afghanistan and other Central Asian Republics

Reasons :

• The US acknowledges that the Chabahar port project is not just only in India’s or Iran’s strategic interest but also in Afghanistan’s strategic interest.
• Afghanistan is a landlocked country which depends on Pakistan for trade. All its trade goes largely through the Pakistani ports.
• Pakistan denies transit to India for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• This project provides Afghanistan a strategic alternative and helps it to escape being landlocked in a sense.
• If in future, issues between America and Iran get resolved, then Chabahar Port will enable America to bypass Pakistan.
• Pakistan still controls all the administrative routes by which Afghanistan can be supplied.
• US has always remained hesitant to act on terrorists, specifically Afghan Talibans, due to that. Chabahar Port gives an option to America to take action against such terrorists.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT