Chabahar Port

Explanation :

• Chabahar Port, the only oceanic port in Iran, is located in the Gulf of Oman on the south-eastern coast of Iran.
• The port features two different complexes namely ShahidKalantari andShahidBeheshti.
• Chabahar Port commenced operations in 1983 and has become an important port for Iran and Middle East.
• It serves as the transport gateway between the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and Europe.
• It plays an important role in the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) and also serves as a gateway to the eastern development route of the country.
• A trilateral transit agreement was signed by India, Iran and Afghanistan for the development of two berths of the port in May 2016. The agreement will allow the western coasts of Indiato be linked withChabahar and provide access for Indian goods to pass through Iran into Afghanistan and beyond.

Strategic Importance of port for India

• The development of the Chabahar Port has huge strategic importance for India as it would allow India to bypass Pakistan and give it to access to markets in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• India is also developing a rail link connecting Iran to Afghanistan to help facilitate connectivity.

International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC)

• INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
• Russia, Iran and India signed the agreement for the NSTC project on the 16th of May 2002. All three countries are founding member states on the project.
• Member states in the NSTC project: India,  Iran,  Russia,  Turkey,  Azerbaijan,  Kazakhstan,  Armenia,  Belarus,  Tajikistan,  Kyrgyzstan,  Oman,  Ukraine,Syria.
• Observer member - Bulgaria