Chabahar Port has emerged as the 'connecting point' for the region to deliver humtarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Thursday.
Virtually addressing the opening session on Maritime India Summit 2021, the Union Minister said, "Chabahar Port has emerged as the 'connecting point' for the region to deliver humtarian assistance during the COVID pandemic. India has used Chabahar Port to ship wheat to Afghstan."
"Chabahar Port is a joint effort of the governments of India, Iran and Afghstan, to support landlocked Afghstan by giving access to the open seas, optimising logistic cost by bringing in efficiency and create a reliable and safe transport corridor," Mandaviya added.
He further said, "The 21st century will not belong to the land. It will be a century of the sea, skies and space keeping in mind the high priority that we attach to enhancing regional connectivity between India, Central Asia and beyond."
At the opening session, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar recounted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran in 2016 which paved the way for the trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghstan.
Jaishankar stated that today's event reflects India's strong commitment to work together with its own regional stakeholders to enhance connectivity in our region and to provide unhindered access to the sea and landlocked Central Asian countries through the Chabahar.
Other dignitaries who addressed their keynote at the session included, Minister of Transport Afghstan, Qudratullah Zaki, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Russia, Oleg N Ryazantsev, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Armenia, Suren Papikyan, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Iran, Mohammad Eslami, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan M Chariyev Jasurbek Ergashevich, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Government of India Sanjay Bandopadhyay.
Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the second edition of Maritime India Summit-2021. He also launched an e-book of maritime vision 2030, which is aiming to make the Indian maritime industry at par with the top global benchmark in the next 10 years.
( With inputs from ANI )
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