Chabahar project can fast-track India-Iran ties
Following a thaw between the West and Iran over the nuclear programme, there has been a renewed push in India-Iran relations. The results have begun to show, if only tentatively. On Wednesday, the Union Minister for Minister for Shipping as well as Road Transport and Highways, Mr Nitin Gadkari, signed a memorandum of understanding with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran on the development of Chabahar port. India has long been associated with this project. After having helped build the port in the early 1990s, it signed an agreement with Iran in 2003 to upgrade Chabahar's facilities. However, more than a decade and a dozen such pacts later, progress has been limited, primarily because of Western resistance. Even at this point, when the West and Iran are on the brink of a historic rapprochement, the US has expressed its displeasure over India's efforts in the project.
Washington, DC, would have preferred New Delhi to wait for the final deal to be signed because there's still many a slip twixt the cup and the lip. But India has rightly prioritised its national interests and taken the lead on the Chabahar project. However, it is still early to say if this renewed cooperation will “open a new chapter in the two countries' relations”, as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reportedly told Mr Gadkari. The Iranians can be difficult customers, as India has learned through some of its trade and energy dealings. But then India, for want of a better comparison, is no China when it comes to project delivery. That said, there is reason to hope that the Chabahar project will finally see more progress on the ground. Apart from a relatively supportive West, there is also greater pressure from a more confident Afghan side to complete the work. Chabahar, which will be connected to the India-built Delaram-Zaranj highway in Afghanistan, is crucial to the Afghan economy.
The sea port offers the land-locked country a link to Central Asian and European markets while bypassing Pakistan (which continues to refuse Afghanistan overland access to India). Wednesday's agreement paves the way for Indian and Iranian commercial companies to begin negotiations for leasing two berths at the port and converting them into multi-purpose cargo and container terminals. Once completed, these terminals will not just boost the Afghan economy but also open up new opportunities for India and Iran, as both can benefit from cutting a recalcitrant Islamabad out of the picture.
Pakistan, of course, has its own port, at Gwadar, which has been built with Chinese assistance. This adds a separate strategic dimension to Chabahar. However, Gwadar has emerged as somewhat of a white elephant. Though it is functional, it sees minimal traffic, partly because of the troubles in Balochistan and partly because of infrastructural deficiencies. This might change if China's proposed economic corridor, linking Gwadar to Xinjiang, takes off.