“Landlocked nations in Central Asia can use the International North-South Transport Corridor as a safe and effective route to reach the Indian Ocean. Its entire potential should be our goal, the release states.

He continued by highlighting the significance of improved connection. Strong connectivity is essential for every region’s development. Better connectivity promotes mutual trust while also enhancing trade between nations. However, it is crucial to safeguard the fundamental tenets of the SCO charter in this endeavour, including protecting the Member States’ sovereignty and regional integrity, the announcement stated.

On the Gulf of Oman, in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan, is a seaport called Chabahar Port.It comprises of two distinct ports called Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti and is Iran’s sole oceanic port.

It has the potential to grow into one of the most significant commercial centres due to its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

One of India’s priority projects is the Chabahar Port Project. India signed the Chabahar Agreement, worth USD 85 million, in May 2016 to create the International Transport & Transit Corridor. The project’s two main centrepieces are the development of the Chabahar Port and the train route that connects it to Zahedan.

The goods would be transported to the Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports through the Chabahar Port Project, releasing Kabul from its reliance on Pakistan. Through the 7,200 km long multi-modal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which connects Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe, India will have access to Afghanistan.

Connecting Chabahar Port to the Zaranj-Delaram Highway in Afghanistan was one of the major projects that India and Iran were very interested in. Afghanistan’s 215-kilometer-long Zaranj-Delaram Highway was already constructed with the help of India.

Additionally, the Chabahar Port Project offers a choice for a different route for the supply of products, lowering the weight of Pakistan, which was the only option available until recently.