Negotiations are to be finalised with an investment of US$100 million from India for the upgrade of Chabahar port in Iran. India and Iran have agreed to transport Indian goods to Afghanistan via Chabahar in a bid to ease India’s exports.
According to India’s external affairs ministry, the port is to be developed as a way of opening up transit for Indian goods and products to Afghanistan and other central Asia countries.
Indian investors had previously announced readiness to participate in the Chabahar-Mashhad railroad project, which extends for 1,000km from thenorthwest city of Mashhad along Iran's eastern border to the port of Chabahar on the Arabian Sea.
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said that because of the problems related to ports in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan decided to use Chabahar port for the import and export of goods.
Chabahar was chosen because India is not allowed to export goods to Afghanistan via Pakistan.