Afghan minister, MP visit Iranian port of Chabahar to discuss boosting trade

[Presenter] At a meeting between senior Afghan officials and the managing director of the Chabahar free [trade] zone, ways of increasing the transit of goods from the port of Chabahar to that country were examined.

The Afghan commerce minister [Anwarolhaq Ahadi] described as economical the transit of the goods that are needed by Afghanistan via the port of Chabahar, instead of the Pakistani port of Karachi. [Ahadi, in Dari] We have a particular interest in the port of Chabahar because we think that it might end up being economical for us. In terms of facilities, too, it is our own.

In other ports, we are not allowed facilities. There is the chance for us, in the free zone, to have land for long-term lease and to have our own facilities for commercial [two words indistinct]. The other ports that we use, whether Bandar Abbas or the port of Karachi, have heavy traffic. Sometimes our commercial goods are delayed for more than a month and this naturally inflicts losses on our merchants. The port of Chabahar still does not have such a big volume of transactions. These two factors, both the quickness and the low price, are a very strong incentive for our merchants. [Yazdani, managing director of Chabahar free trade zone] We arrived at four specific proposals.

The first is the question of the transit of goods.

There is the issue of investment by honourable Afghan merchants and businessmen. We will establish a company by the name of the joint international transport company, so that, in continuation of the sea route, the land transport will also be carried out with ease, with the agreement and participation of the two sides.

Also, a model centre will be established in Chabahar for purchases by our brothers from Afghanistan. [Amini, Afghan MP for Nimroz, in Dari] As a deputy for the province of Nimroz, this is perhaps a happy day for me and this will be good news for the people of Nimroz.

This will help commerce flourish in Nimroz. 

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran via BBC monitoring