In the meeting, Liwal said expansion of all-out relations
won’t be possible without stronger economic ties and “we are determined for
stronger presence of our businessmen and traders in Chabahar Port.”
“Chabahar is an economic and a transit bridge for
Afghanistan and we are going to expand our economic relations through
increasing exports and imports through Chabahar,” he said.
According to the official, following the country’s plans for
boosting trade in Chabahar, setting up an Afghan bank branch in the port is one
of the plans that Afghanistan is pursuing along with other programs to resolve
issues like residency and certification problems.
Kordi underlined some of the port’s capacities and
investment potentials, saying more than 176 Afghan companies have registered
with Chabahar Free Trade Industrial Zone Organization for trade activities in
the port, however only 32 of them are currently active.
“Chabahar is a strategic port and Afghan businessmen and
traders need to have a greater presence in it and increase their investment,” emphasized
Kordi.
If one can recall, in 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan had decided
to jointly establish a trade route for landlocked Central Asian countries. India
committed up to US$500 million for the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port
along with associated roads and rail lines. India launched a trade route to
Afghanistan via Iran through shipping its first consignment of wheat to
Afghanistan in late October 2017, bypassing longtime rival Pakistan.
