U.S. Lawmakers Question India's Plan to Develop Chabahar Port

U.S. senators questioned India's plan to develop the Chabahar port, considering it a violation of international sanctions. At the same time, a U.S. State Department official assured them that Washington is closely monitoring the issue. According to Reuters, Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, who attended a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 4, stated, "We have been clear with the Indians about continuing restrictions on working with Iran." She added that the U.S. will review the details of the agreement related to the Chabahar port development plan. The strategic agreement to establish an international transport and transit corridor known as the "Chabahar Agreement" was signed on June 3 in the presence of the presidents of Iran and Afghanistan and the Prime Minister of India, who was visiting Tehran. Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that "Chabahar will serve as the origin of a transit corridor between the south and east and the south and north, and with the completion of the railway from Chabahar to Zahedan and then from Zahedan to Sarakhs, this port can become a connecting point between various countries, including India, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe." Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, also mentioned that his country will spend $500 million to develop Chabahar and build a port there. India aims to access the markets of Afghanistan and Central Asia through this route, which has been blocked due to its proximity to Pakistan and political tensions with that country. The United States and the European Union lifted sanctions against the Islamic Republic last December after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers. However, sanctions related to human rights violations by Iran and what has been termed Tehran's support for terrorism remain in place. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State stated that she believes the relationship between India and Iran is primarily focused on economic and energy sectors and added that the U.S. recognizes India's need for access to trade routes. Ms. Biswal stated, "From the Indian perspective, Iran is a route for India's access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. This country needs such a route." She emphasized that there is no evidence of India's cooperation with Iran in certain areas, such as military cooperation, which could be a concern for the U.S. The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the United States next month, with a speech planned for the U.S. Congress. According to Reuters, Senator Ben Cardin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked Ms. Biswal whether a formal security cooperation agreement between the U.S. and India is expected to be signed during Modi's visit. In response, she said that India and the United States have currently strengthened their security cooperation in some areas. "We are looking at more areas to deepen these collaborations." Reuters notes that Washington's relationship with India is a critical issue as it is part of the U.S. plan to balance power with China, which is gaining strength. On the other hand, the Associated Press quoted Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as saying in the committee meeting that it is important for the United States and India to stand together in strengthening democratic values and norms in the Indo-Pacific region while China seeks greater influence. He complained about high tariffs on American goods in the Indian market and emphasized that half of the 27 million people in the world who are in slavery are in India. Mr. Corker stated, "How does a country like India have between 12 to 14 million slaves in 2016? How did this happen?" Ms. Biswal pointed out that more needs to be done regarding the relationship between India and the U.S., and regarding slavery in India, she stated that necessary warnings and awareness have been given to India, and the U.S. ambassador for human trafficking was able to visit the country for the first time, where she had "constructive and fruitful discussions."