For the first time three countries India, Iran and Uzbekistan will conduct a trilateral dialogue on Monday to explore the shared use of the strategically placed port of Chabahar, which is increasingly seen as a hub for connectivity to Central Asia.
Announcement of the meeting was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA). “The first trilateral working group meeting between India, Iran and Uzbekistan on joint use of Chabahar Port will be held virtually on December 14,” said the MEA.
The port is being established by India, Iran and Afghanistan to improve trade relations between the three countries following Pakistan’s refusal to allow transit access to New Delhi.
Located in the province of Sistan-Balochistan on the energetic southern coast of Iran, the port can be conveniently reached from the western coast of India, bypassing Pakistan. It is known to be a major transit point for connections with a variety of Central Asian countries.
The trilateral meeting is taking place in the framework of India, with the participation of Uzbekistan in the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) programme.
“India welcomes the interest of Uzbekistan to use the Chabahar port as a transit port. This would open up economic opportunities for the traders and business community of the region,” the MEA said in a statement.
“Besides Uzbekistan, other Central Asian countries have also shown interest in using the port. India seeks to cooperate closely with regional countries on this issue,” the MEA statement further added.
Ways to speed up connectivity projects linking Central Asia was a major focus of a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The International North South Transport Corridor is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Monday’s meeting would be jointly chaired at the deputy minister level by Uzbekistan and Iran while the Indian delegation would be headed by a secretary-level officer.
