Afghanistan Calls for Rapid Development of Chabahar Port

On Monday, the Afghan Foreign Minister urged India to expedite the development of the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran. This port will allow Afghanistan, which has no sea border, to expand its foreign trade without relying on land routes through Pakistan. At the same time, it enables India to transport its goods to Afghanistan via maritime routes. Currently, Pakistan does not allow India to use its land routes. According to the Associated Press, India pledged last year to invest about $500 million in the development of the Chabahar port and the region's roads and railways. Sushma Swaraj, India's Foreign Minister, stated that India will accelerate the Chabahar port development plan and will begin wheat exports to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, in his new strategic plan for Afghanistan released last month, called on India to provide more assistance in Afghanistan's economic development. Salahuddin Rabbani, the Afghan Foreign Minister, also urged the Indian government to expand air transport between the two countries, which began in June this year, to facilitate the transfer of a larger volume of Afghan goods to Indian markets. After meeting with his Afghan counterpart, the Indian Foreign Minister stated at a press conference in New Delhi that India and Afghanistan have agreed on 'new economic cooperation' that aligns with Afghanistan's priorities. He added that more than 100 new economic and development projects will be jointly implemented by the two countries. He mentioned that India will participate in projects for providing drinking water in Kabul, constructing affordable housing for returning refugees, establishing a water supply network for the city of Charikar, and building a large hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif. Ms. Swaraj added that India will also assist in specialized training and technology for Afghan employees, particularly in education, health, agriculture, energy, and administrative management. The Afghan Foreign Minister also stated that both countries emphasized expanding security and technical cooperation, although details of this cooperation were not disclosed. India has so far donated three Mi-35 multi-role helicopters to Afghanistan and is involved in training personnel for Afghanistan's security forces and police.