Tehran, IRNA – Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi said on Sunday that Iran is ready to sign a long-term contract with India to develop Chabahar port.

Ghasemi met and held talks with India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday in Tehran. Ghasemi announced the Iranian government’s readiness to sign a long-term contract with India aimed at Indian investment in Chabahar port to enable the north-south corridor and the development of transit of goods from this port.

Calling Chabahar port a great capacity for the countries, he noted that Iran can actually realize these potentials with the help of India.

He suggested that the technical, legal, and expert investigations process to sign a long-term contract can happen within two months and after the initial agreements between the experts of both sides, the mentioned contract between the transport ministers of Iran and India should be inked.

Terming India as an important and great country that can play a pivotal role in transiting goods in the region, Ghasemi expressed hope that within the mentioned period, the contract between the two states with the issue of investment in Chabahar port would be signed.

Pointing to the cultural, historical, and civilizational commonalities of Iran and India, Sarbananda Sonowal, for his part, called his visit to Iran an emphasis on the importance of Chabahar port for the development of transit of goods in the region.

During this period, Iran and India have had many activities in the field of advertising for shipping in Chabahar, which companies from Japan and South Korea have welcomed this process, he highlighted.

He added that Chabahar port can reduce the route, cost, and time of transportation of goods in the region.

Referring to the order of the President of India, he noted that India seeks to improve economic relations by investing in this port, and “we hope” to be able to make Chabahar port one of the most important ports in the world in the near future.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Ali Akbar Safaei expressed hope that the collaborations of the two countries would increase in all fields, including maritime and port interactions.

The deputy minister referred to the opportunity for India to participate in different projects in Iran, including the development of Chabahar Port, underlining that the development of the port city can help boost trilateral cooperation among India, Afghanistan, and Iran.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) initiated multi-sided transit of goods from Russia to India via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) for the first time.

The three states inked a landmark transit trade agreement on Chabahar Port in May 2016.

Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, arrived in Tehran on Friday to discuss the expansion of cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities.

According to the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, the Indian minister heading a high-ranking delegation traveled to Tehran, where he was welcomed by Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Ali Akbar Safaei.

Sarbananda Sonowal is an Indian politician from Assam who is the current Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Cabinet Minister of AYUSH in the Government of India.

Some prominent directors such as Sunil Mukundan, the Managing Director of India Ports Global Ltd, accompany the Indian minister on the trip to Iran.