An official at Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran told reporters on the sideline of a trilateral meeting between Iran, Afghanistan and India on Chabahar agreement that the operational control of Shahid Beheshti port, as part of the strategic Chabahar port, has been officially leased to Indian Ports Global Ltd. (IPGL) today for a temporary period of 18 months, and a 10-year period afterwards.
The deputy head for ports and economic affairs, Mohammad Ali Hassanzadeh, said part of the IPGL tasks during its management over Shahid Beheshthi port will include loading and unloading, supplying equipment and marketing.
He noted that Chabahar agreement would facilitate transit of goods between India and Afghanistan and play an important role in the economic growth of the region.
According to him, Chabahar port offers the most tariff incentives for ports and maritime services among other ports in the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf regions, saying Chabahar is the best spot for transit and trade between India, Afghanistan and other countries in the region, especially the CIS states.
Talking about the session held today between members of the follow-up committee on Chabahar port’s trilateral agreement, Hassanzadeh said the session discussed a wide range of topics including: choosing routes for goods transfer; plans for marketing, how to attract businessmen and investors; discussing the opportunities and capacities available for using the Chabahar port in the supply chain; as well as facilitating trade, the role of operators, customs, and exchange of information.
The project to develop Shahid Beheshti Port – Iran’s only oceanic port – started in 2007 through an investment amounting to $1 billion. The annual cargo tonnage of the port, according to reports, reaches as high as 8.5 million tonnes.
The agreement for leasing the operational control of Shahid Beheshti Port was signed during President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to New Delhi in February 2018.
MS/IRN83145455
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