Work on Chabahar Port is in full swing. The follow-up committee of Chabahar project was established in Afghanistan on 2 December as per schedule after last meeting in October, 2018 in Iran. But it isn’t just talk and meetings. The first container ship carrying a cargo of 3,700 TEU after the shipping line was established between the Indian ports of Mumbai, Kandla and Mundra & Chabahar Port, Iran arrived at Chabahar Port on January 27.
Now, there will be regular ships plying every 2 weeks between these 3 Indian ports and Chabahar port. This solves the long running problem of shipment getting delayed by a week or two on moving from Bandar Abbas to Chabahar via other middle eastern ports.
Behrouz Aghaei, the Director General of Sistan and Baluchistan’s Ports and Maritime Organization, Iran, said the cargo ship from India arrived at Shahid Beheshti dock of Chabahar Port on January 27 at 10.30am and will move onward to Bandar Abbas.
The Chabahar Port is India’s gateway to Afghanistan as Pakistan has blocked all overland trade. It opens up India’s trading options with the mineral-rich Central Asian countries and would link to Russia via the INSTC (International North South Transport Corridor).