Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: The first consignment of wheat donated by India arrived in the country via Chabahar seaport, showing Afghanistan has several alternatives and no more dependent on one port.
The technical agreement between Kabul, Delhi and Tehran signed around one and half year ago over functioning of Chabahar seaport, which today the three country are witnessed for operational of this port in the region. This port will help Afghanistan to have more alternatives for trade and transit of goods to the international markets.
“New chapter opened in the history of Afghanistan, after arrival of the fist wheat shipment from India to Afghanitan through Chabahar port today,” said Acting Minister for Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock Nasir Ahmad Durani.
Speaking at a joint conference with India and Iranian Ambassador, he said that functioning of Chabahar seaport is a sign of important cooperation between Afghanistan, India and Iran and it can be vital project in the region.
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohammad Hamid Tahmasi said Chabahar seaport is a great economical opportunity for Afghanistan.
He said that Afghanistan, Iran and India will use this seaport for big commercial dealing.
Chabahar port is shorter, easier and cheaper transit way for Afghanistan than Karachi port and Afghanistan can use it for import and export of goods to the interregnal markets, he added.
He pledged that his ministry will implement the Chabahar agreement completely.
Kabul based Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Bahrami said that “today the Chabahar port entered to the operational phase.”
He said that functioning of Chabahar is a prove for serious intention of the official of three countries.
Chabahar is a sign that in cooperation with each other we can reach to economic development and better future, he added.
Chabahar is positive step for helping each other, he insisted.
Region countries won’t develop, if we not help each other, he mentioned.
He stated that economic and security of the region linked, thus it is required to give hand to each other in order to reach to a regional cooperation.
Ambassador said that we will extent the capacity of Chabhar port, adding that currently it deserve 8.5 million tons.
He said that efforts will be hold to reconstruct roads and establish railways for further better using of Chabahar port.
India Ambassador in Kabul Manpreet Vohra said that “let me begin by congratulating the people of Afghanistan and the people of Nimroz for this first arrival of wheat shipment from India to Afghanistan.”
He said that we have been sending wheat to Afghanistan many years, we have promised 1.1 million tons of wheat as gift to Afghanistan, out of which we have already sent 700,000 tons to Afghanistan.
He said that this shipment came through the new route and it reached from India to Afghanistan within few days.
Chabahar is the logic of finding easy connectivity assured connectivity for Afghanistan to the international market, he asserted.
We all know that particular neighbor of you to the east has often placed restrictions on your transit rights, he noted.
He said that there is no reason why in 2017, Afghanistan should suffer from this fundamental right to landlocked, which is easy access.
He highlighted that the primary reasons for India to join hands with Afghanistan and Iran is to find an alternate connectivity assured connectivity without any political problems coming all the time for Afghanistan.
He said that we are confident that with cooperation of the three governments this route from Chabahar to Afghanistan will not see any arbitrary closure of gates or any unilateral decision to stop Afghanistan export and import.
This port will guaranty Afghanistan Access to the seaport to have import and export, he insisted.
With this growth in trade and transit goods coming thorough Chabahar to Afghanistan is a great economic advantage for Nimroz as well, he mentioned.
This project will create employment opportunities and economic development for Nimroz province, he said.
The first shipment which arrived today is 15000 tons of wheat, which reached through Chabahar and we will have seven shipments between now and February, which would be a total of 110,000 tons of wheat will come to Afghanistan through Chabahar, he underlined.
