TEHRAN: Chairman of Iran Chamber of Commerce Gholam Hossein Shafeyee revealed a plan to establish a direct shipping line between Iranian Chabahar and Indian Mumbai ports.
“This is the best, the shortest and the most economical route for the export of the Indian commodities to Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe,” Shafeyee said.
He further added that with the establishment of this shipping line along with North-South and East-West corridor and the railway of the country, ground will be prepared for enhancement of bilateral relations.
The Iranian official noted that Iranian and Indian tradesmen through joint investment can prepare the ground for the export of Indian commodities, such as spice, rice, tea, etc. to Afghanistan.
Stressing that in the next century, Asia will become the axis for the world economy, Shafeyee said Iran and India as the two great countries in the region can play an important role in this regard.
Iran and India which have deep historical and cultural relations are now seeking to further expand ties in various domains.
India, the world’s fourth-largest petroleum consumer, is Iran’s second largest oil customer after China and purchases around $12bln worth of Iranian crude every year, about 12 percent of its consumption.
Iran is a rich country in terms of natural resources, and India enjoys advanced agriculture and computer industry.
Combination of Iran and India capabilities and capacities can flourish both sides’ economies.
