India set to get operational control of Iran’s Chabahar port for 18 months
Other agreements include double taxation avoidance treaty, extraditionNEW DELHI: India and Iran signed on Saturday agreements including Tehran leasing to New Delhi operational control of part of the Iranian east coast port of Chabahar for 18 months. The US$85 million project, just 90 km from the Gwadar port, creates a transit route between India, Iran and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. Tehran won’t allow India to use Chabahar port to undermine Pakistan, say Iranian diplomatsIndia is trying to develop Chabahar as a way to gain access to the markets of central Asia as well as Afghanistan. A leasing agreement giving operational control to India of Shahid Beheshti port – phase one of the Chabahar port – was signed in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Later, addressing a joint press conference with the Iranian president, Modi said both countries wanted to expand bilateral ties and cooperation in economic development.
Source: The Express Tribune February 18, 2018 06:33 UTC
