India, Iran review Chabahar progress

NEW DELHI: Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra had a telephonic discussion with Iran's deputy minister for political affairs Ali Bagheri Kani on Tuesday on "various elements" of bilateral ties, including progress on the Chabahar Port.
As per the government, Kwatra underscored India's commitment to boost bilateral cooperation with Iran in addressing shared opportunities and challenges. Both sides also discussed international and regional issues, including Afghanistan.
The conversation came a month after Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited India. Ian has been a key security and connectivity partner for India in the Gulf region. The countries have been focusing on improving connectivity with central Asia.
At a connectivity conference in Tashkent in July last year, external affairs minister S Jaishankar projected Iran's Chabahar Port as a key regional transit hub, including Afghanistan. Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar port is being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost connectivity and trade ties.