Iran, India, Afghanistan Meet over Chabahar Port

India, Afghanistan and Iran meet today ahead of NAM Summit in Tehran to discuss the utilization of Iran’s Chahbahar Port by an Indian consortium bidding to win the concession for a major copper mine in Herat, Afghanistan.

The only economical way for the Indians to transport the copper out of Afghanistan is by building a railhead at the mine to be linked to the Iranian railway system and on to Chahbahar. Iran is currently extending its railway network to Herat province that would pass some 12 kilometers from the Shaida copper mine; the one Indians are hoping to get long-term concession for exploiting its rich copper deposits.

The trilateral meet is led by the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the three countries.

File Photo: Chabahar Port (Press TV)

UPDATE: The trilateral meeting ended in Tehran with agreements to establish a joint working group and to hold a meeting of the group in Chabahar within the next three months.