New Delhi, April 14
With Pakistan continuing to deny India transit access to Afghanistan, New Delhi is trying to complete as early as possible the formalities for entering into an agreement with Iran for the development of the Chabahar Port which will provide it a vital link to transport its goods to the war-ravaged nation.

The Union Cabinet is expected to shortly approve a proposal to invest about $ 100 million for the development of the south-eastern Iranian port city of Chabahar to sustain India’s presence in Afghanistan and through it to Central Asia.

The Chinese presence at Pakistan’s Gwadar Port has accentuated the need for India to move fast on the Chabahar project, keeping in mind its geo-strategic interests in the region after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2014.

Iran, it is learnt, is also keen on attracting Indian investment in the Chabahar project since port infrastructure is one of the areas which does not attract US sanctions against the Islamic republic. Iranian Ambassador to India Gholamreza Ansari recently met Opposition leaders like BJP president Rajnath Singh and CPM general secretary Prakash Karat to discuss the Chabahar project.

Pakistan had signed a trade and transit agreement with Afghanistan in 2010, allowing Kabul to transport goods to Pakistani ports and also to the Indian border. But India cannot utilise that arrangement for transporting its cargo to Afghanistan since Pakistan continues to be vehemently opposed to any Indian role in the war-torn country.

The Chabahar project has been hanging fire for a few years now because of different reasons. First, it was India’s vote against Iran at IAEA that had strained relations between the two countries and then US sanctions against the Islamic republic had made it difficult for New Delhi to enhance its commercial engagement with Tehran.

But things have changed over the past one or two years. Officials say Tehran has given the green signal to India to develop the port as that would also boost Iran’s economy at a time when it is grappling with crippling sanctions imposed against it by the West because of its controversial nuclear programme.