Director General of Chabahar Free Trade Zone Organization (FTZ) Abdul Rahim Kordi said trade connections of Mumbai-Hamburg-Saint Petersburg will be made through Astarakhan, Anzali, Chabahar and Nhava Sheva instead of Suez Canal.
Speaking in a meeting with Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Mohammad-Reza Norouzpour, Kordi said using Chabahar will make a considerable difference in terms of time for transit of goods from Russia.
It will decrease the time needed from 38 days to 14-16 days, he added.
Although economic development plans in Chabahar are compatible with an economic logic due to war and issues after Iran-Iraq imposed war, some of these projects were stopped.
Thanks to the existence of ports like Bandar Abbas and Port of Jebel Ali (UAE) and lack of attention to transportation fees, Chabahr was not regarded as an economic zone.
Accordingly, China having the aim of being an economic superpower in the world suggested the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.
Because in this period, it is not enough to have only technology, raw materials, and manpower, but in the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, it is possible to reduce the time and cost to reach the market to become an economic power.
Describing Iran as a terminal in the world, Kordi said Iran can connect north-south and east-west of the world through Chabahar Port.
Today, Makran and Chabahar as the main path started their new chapter.
Upon the Supreme Leader's special attention to the Makran coast, 300 million euros were allocated for Makran railways last year, bringing the project into a new chapter, he noted.
Kordi reiterated that grounds have been paved for accepting any foreign investment in Chabahar.
Chabahar, the sole Iranian oceanic port, is an important area on the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman shores and in North-South Corridor.
It is located in the East-West transit path and is of importance with regard to transit and trans-ship.
Chabahar has turned out to be a vital area for sending Indian products to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
The Indian government has allocated about $14m budget for developing Chabahar Port in 2020-2021 which had a two-fold rise compared to the last year.
Growth in the allocated budget indicates India's commitment to developing the port and New Delhi determination for changing Chabahar Port into a connecting point.
Due to its strategic position and its access to international high seas, Chabahar is of importance with regard to Iran's trade interactions with other regional countries.
Chabahar, as Iran’s only ocean port, plays an important role in developing trade, exports, and imports and in fishing as well.
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's special attention and the efforts made by President Hassan Rouhani's government have accelerated development of Makran Coasts, especially Chabahar Port, in a way that five big ships carrying basic goods, including wheat, barley, soybean, and corn berthed in one week.
The geographical location and the current atmosphere in Iran for developing Chabahar Port have made the Iranian port play a major role in national and international arenas. ■