The second meeting of the Follow-up Committee for implementation of the trilateral Chabahar Agreement between India, Afghanistan and Iran, at the level of Joint Secretary/Director-General, was held in New Delhi late last week.
All the three countries welcomed steady progress in port operations by India Ports Global Ltd since taking over of port operations at Shaheed Beheshti Port at Chabahar in December 2018. It was recognised that over 5 lakh tonnes of cargo has been handled successfully. This includes exports from Afghanistan through Chabahar Port, which began in February 2019.
It was also agreed to include Mormugao and New Mangalore Port from India, in addition to JNPT, Mundra, Deendayal and Cochin, as part of the designated route under the Chabahar Agreement.
A study will be conducted by Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) to streamline cargo transit through Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar.
It was agreed to finalise the protocol to harmonise transit, roads, Customs and consular matters. Till that time, the TIR Convention will continue to be used for cargo movement.
It was agreed to organise promotional and business events in Afghanistan and India to popularise Chabahar Port.
It was also agreed to hold the Third Follow-up Committee meeting in India in the first half of 2020, followed by the 2nd Coordination Council meeting.
