‘India’s time for Chabahar choice over’
Iran on Wednesday said a deadline for India to decide over investing in a key project to develop its southeastern Chabahar port is way over and New Delhi has not yet informed Tehran about its final decision.
Mohammad Saeed-Nejad, the managing director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), has told the media in Tehran that India had in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran pledged to announce whether it will commit $85 million in Chabahar within six months.
“I think the [grace] period [for India] is over,” said Saeed-Nejad. “However, the related contract with the Indian side has not been drafted as of yet,” he told Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
The official emphasized that India will not be involved in any construction activity in Chabahar, adding that it was only to provide dock equipment at the key port.
India’s media reported earlier that New Delhi will take a decision on Iran's latest offer in October after obtaining reports from other ministries including petroleum, chemical and fertilizer, and steel.
Chabahar is the closest and best access point of Iran to the Indian Ocean and Iran has devised serious plans to turn into a transit hub for immediate access to markets in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and Central Asia.
Iranian officials said in early October that China is also looking into the prospects of investing in the project. However, PMO chief Saeed-Nejad told Tasnim news agency that no serious negotiation to that effect has ever been held between Tehran and Beijing.
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