The Shahid Behestti terminal at Chabahar in Iran is India's first overseas port project

Reviewing the progress of development work of the Shahid Behestti port at Chabahar in Iran, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday reiterated that India is fully committed to develop it.

India is fully committed to develop the Chabahar port in order to realise the vision set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2016 visit to Iran, he said, adding that it was an important link of the International North South Transport Corridor.

"India is committed to the development of Chabahar Port. It is an important link of the International North South Transport Corridor, which opens up Central Asia to the markets of SE Asia and ASEAN," Sonowal tweeted after his visit to the poet.

The Shahid Behestti port at Chabahar is India's first overseas port project and has the potential to become the gateway for Indian trade with Europe, Russia & CIS countries.

According to official data, since India has assumed operations of Shahid Behestti Port at Chabahar, it has handled over 4.8 million tons of bulk cargo. The port has received shipments from Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Germany, Oman, Romania, Russia, Thailand, UAE, Ukraine and Uzbekistan among other nations.

During his visit, Sonowal also presented six mobile harbour cranes to the Indian Ports Global Chabahar Free Trade Zone (IPGCFTZ) in an effort to improve operations at the Chabahar port.

The Union Minister was accompanied by India's Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra. The Iranian team was headed by Deputy Minister and Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Safaee.

Sonowal and Safaee had a productive discussion regarding the expansion of marine and port cooperation between Iran and India. Apart from this, both the delegations talked about ways to open up commerce between nations in Central Asia and those in South Asia, ASEAN, and even the Far East, like Japan and Korea.

During the meeting, Union Minister Sonowal emphasised the importance of Chabahar Port in decreasing travel time, distance, and expense. Additionally, both sides also agreed on the establishment of a joint technical committee for the port to operate smoothly. The meeting also covered the future plan of action for port development.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, "Our shared historical relationship has been the seedbed of Indo-Iranian bilateral relationship. The sustained engagement and all round efforts in the preceeding years provide an ideal platform for further expansion and deepening of the bilateral relation."