US appreciates India's efforts to help Afghanistan via Chabahar Port development in Iran

Ministry of External Affairs has informed of the United States' appreciation for India's efforts to assist Afghanistan through the modernisation of Chabahar port. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday, October 29 said that the US had conveyed its appreciation during the recently held 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Read: EAM Jaishankar Attends 6-nation India-Central Asia Dialogue; Afghanistan Also Joins In

Development of Chabahar port benefits Afghanistan

While replying to a question regarding United States' go-ahead for the developments planned for Chabahar port in Iran, the MEA spokesperson said, "Our development assistance and multi-modal connectivity infrastructure and trade linkages that have been built and our efforts in this regard through our development assistance to Afghanistan to sustain the growth and development there over the long term was something which was appreciated by the US side."

In 2018, India and Iran had signed a $85 million deal for the development of the Chabahar Port in South-eastern Iran. The United States has strict sanctions placed against Iran and also targets any country’s or companies that deal with Iran, but because the US has given the go-ahead for the development of the Chabahar port, India has been granted "narrow exemption" from the sanctions. Located in the Gulf of Oman, the Chabahar port provides an alternate route of transport between India and Afghanistan.

Read: UN Security Council Condemns 'atrocious', 'cowardly' Terror Attack In Afghanistan

EAM Jaishankar Attends 6-nation India-Central Asia Dialogue

On Wednesday, October 28 EAM Jaishankar held the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue with five central Asian countries; Afghanistan was also present during the video conference as a special guest. During his opening statement, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stated that all the countries in attendance shared a "commonality" of views when it came to several domestic and international issues and on top of that they faced several common challenges like terrorism, drug trafficking and extremism.

One of the main reasons that Afghanistan was present was because three of the five Central Asian countries present in the meeting share a land border with Afghanistan and therefore see the resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan as beneficial for them.

(With ANI inputs, Image ANI)

Read: Funeral Of One Of 24 Victims Of Afghanistan Attack

Read: Roadside Bomb Killed 9 In Eastern Afghanistan: Official