India, Iran and Uzbekistan hold discussion on Chabahar port

This was the second virtual meeting of the trilateral working group on the joint use of Chabahar port, and it was held exactly a year after the first meeting.

India, Iran and Uzbekistan on Tuesday discussed the further development of the transit and transportation corridor centred round the Iranian port of Chabahar during a trilateral meeting on the joint use of the port on the Gulf of Oman.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan had triggered speculation about the viability of Chabahar port. (File photo)

This was the second virtual meeting of the trilateral working group on the joint use of Chabahar port, and it was held exactly a year after the first meeting.

“The participants underlined the important role played by Chabahar Port during humanitarian crises as well as in enhancing regional connectivity,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement. “They also took note of the increase in transit traffic between Central Asia and South Asia through the Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port and discussed further development of transportation corridor,” the statement added, referring to the terminal at the port operated by the Indian company, India Ports Global Limited. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan had triggered speculation about the viability of Chabahar port, but external affairs minister S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday that the port had emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region and was a “more economical and stable route” for landlocked countries to reach India and the global market.

The Indian side agreed to send a high-level delegation to Chabahar next year at the invitation of the Iranian side.