Afghanistan Ambassador to Tehran Abdul Ghafoor Liwal says his country plans to increase commodity transit through Iranian Chabahar Port. Liwal made the remarks in a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of Chabahar Free Trade–Industrial Zone Organization Abdolrahim Kordi.
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 for his part 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.
Afghanistan officially started exporting goods to India through Chabahar port in a ceremony held in early February. In 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries. India has committed up to $500 million for the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port along with associated roads and rail lines.
source: Tehran Times
