Second meeting of the Follow-up Committee between India, Afghanistan and Iran on the Chabahar Agreement
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 today in New Delhi.
All the three countries welcomed steady progress in port operations by India Ports Global Ltd company since the taking over of the port operations at Shaheed Beheshti Port at Chabahar in December 2018. It was recognized that over 5 lakh tons 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 Mormugoa and New Mangalore Port from India; in addition to JNPT, Mundra, Kandla and Cochin as part of 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 organize promotional and business events in Afghanistan and India to popularize Chabahar port.
It was agreed to hold the Third Follow-up Committee meeting in India in the first half of 2020 followed by the 2nd Coordination Council meeting.
New Delhi
December 20, 2019