Iran has described the Chabahar port
where India owns terminals as a golden gateway emphasizing the strong relations
between the two countries. The ambassador was giving a speech at the Iranian
embassy in New Delhi on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of Iranian revolution when Shah was
overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeni took over power.
Chabahar port is considered as the
golden gateway connecting the countries along the Indian Ocean to Central Asia
and the Caucasus," Elahi said, adding that "connectivity has been and
is another field of cooperation between Iran and India."
The
Chabahar port in Iran is crucial to India's connectivity in the western
direction and has
previously been used to supply humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. India is developing
the first phase of Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar and has provided six mobile
harbor cranes to the port.
Since its inauguration in December 2018,
the port has received cargo from several countries, including Russia, Brazil,
Germany, Bangladesh, Thailand, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and
Australia.
"Although external pressures have
caused problems in the trading ties between the two countries," Elahi
stated, "We believe that India's strategic autonomy is still the biggest
support for the continuation of this cooperation." Iran is eager to export
oil to India, but US sanctions on Tehran have impeded free flow.
The Indian Minister of Shipping,
Sarbananda Sonowal, was in attendance at the event and expressed support for
strengthened economic ties between the two nations.