Ocean port of Chabahar converting to regional trade hub

Road Minister Mohammad Eslami arrived at Konarak Airport in Chabahar, in the southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan on Wednesday morning to inaugurate and break the ground for implementation of 24 major port and maritime projects as well as launching the track laying of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway during his two-day stay in the province.

Eslami was accompanied by a delegation comprised of senior Iranian officials including Port and Maritime Organization (PMO) Head Mohammad Rastad, the First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters Saeed Mohammad, Deputy Road Minister and the Head of Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company of Iran Kheirollah Khademi, Head of Coastal and Port Engineering department Mohammadreza Allahyar as well as a number of top provincial officials. 

Chabahar port is the gateway to Central Asia, as well as the north-south, and the east-west corridor.

The development projects in Chabahar all seek to convert the only Iranian ocean port, Chabahar, into a regional trade and transit hub to play the role of a multi-purpose port at the international level. By the present time, the port's first phase with a capacity of about 10 million tons has been put into operation.

The development of the Chabahar Port is important for the economic development of regional countries and it is worth noting that endorsing regional agreements with neighboring countries are crucial for Iran so that it can increase its transit share to connect the shores of the Indian Ocean to Russia, northern Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

Of the total 24 projects, 13 ones were maritime at the value of 4.12 trillion rials ($14.72mn) and 11 ones were development projects worth 15.94 trillion rials ($56.9mn).

One of the most important projects the execution of which was commenced by the direct order of the road minister was the track laying of the Chabahar to Zahedan railway.

Min. Eslami announced the railway project's inauguration