MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iranian, Indian and Afghan leaders are expected to meet in Tehran by the end of May to sign a trilateral memorandum of understanding regarding Iran’s strategic Chabahar Port, Iranian media reported Wednesday, citing diplomatic sources.
According to the Mehr News Agency, an informed source at Iran’s Embassy in the Afghan capital said that the exact date of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's visit to Tehran was yet to be scheduled but was expected to take place late May to coincide with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Iran.
In 2003, Iran and India agreed to develop the Port of Chabahar, located in the Gulf of Oman on the border with Pakistan. The project was suspended following the introduction of international sanctions against Iran.
#Chabahar,Iranian port on Gulf of Oman to become global business hub with investment by Iran, India, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan & Kazakhstan.
— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) 18 мая 2016 г.
In May 2015, India and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop the port once the international sanctions against Tehran were lifted. Two months later, the UN Security Council approved a resolution to lift the sanctions on Tehran in exchange for guarantees of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
Under the agreement on the Chabahar Port, Indian goods would reach Afghanistan without an obligation to arrive in Pakistan first, since Islamabad's trade relationships with New Delhi are limited over bilateral diplomatic tensions.
