Monitoring Desk: India has invited leaders of Central Asian states to attend Chabahar Day International Conference which is scheduled to be held on February 26, reports Indian media.
The invitation was placed by Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during her visit to Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Jairam Gadkari informed media that India has marketed Chabahar port during India-Central Dialogue hosted by Uzbekistan in its historic city of Samarkand. He stated that Iranian Southernmost city of Chabahar would be linked with to Afghanistan and potentially to Central Asia and Chabahar-Zahedan railway link would bring India closer to the Zaranj-Delaram road link which India has already built in Afghanistan.
He said that India-Central Asia Dialogue was aimed at developing viable connectivity options between India and Afghanistan and Central Asia to further facilitate trade and economic activity in the region.
It is pertinent to mention that Indian-backed Chabahar Port complex near Gulf of Oman is being developed as a transportation corridor for landlocked Afghanistan and India would build a 600-meter cargo terminal and a 640-meter container terminal.
Recently, Minister Nitin Gadkari met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New Delhi and the two sides decided to resolve impediments which are delaying operationalisation of the port.
