Monday February 29, 2016
Kabul (BNA) In his recent remarks on Chabahar port, the Indian Prime Minister Narandera Modi has said that his country plans to invest $150m for capacity building of Chabahar Port of Iran as in the meeting of Indian cabinet agreement has already taken place on this issue. At the same time the Afghan authorities of MoCI have said that capacity building of Chabahar port would cause economic development of Afghanistan and connects the regional countries. With the construction of new installations in Chabahar port, the level of trade among Afghanistan, India and Central Asia will be promoted. Appreciating this Indian step, the spokesman of Afghan MoCI Musafer Qoqandi said implementation of Chabahar port project is in the benefit of Afghanistan and regional countries. Addressing investment in Chabahar port as a good opportunity for Afghanistan access to sea transit, a number of exports and law makers said that Chabahar port is one of the shortest ways and good alternative for Afghan traders to get rid of dependence to other countries and connect Afghanistan to central Asian countries and enjoys particular importance. The Afghan law makers address good relations with India in the benefit of Afghanistan said that the Afghan government should maintain a balanced ties with regional countries as improvement of relations with one country should not cause fading of relations with others. India is a country that has always been maintaining good relations with us and has never interfered in our domestic issues.
But we should notice regional political sensitivities because our people don’t want their country be battlefield of regional countries. A number of economic experts welcoming providing facilities in Chabahar port, addressed insecurities as one of the basic challenges ahead of Afghan traders. Mohammad Iqbal an economic expert considers economic problems in close contact with insecurities and believes that these two namely economic problems and insecurities are the two faces of one coin. According to him if Afghanistan succeeds to paly effective role in regional economic transactions, no doubt she would achieve numerous political successes. Insecurities are such problems that created concerns not only to traders and investors but to ordinary people as well. Therefore improvement of security should be focused in the first step to pave the way for better trade-transit grounds for our traders, so they could invest in their country with peace of mind. Saifuddin Saihoon a lecturer of faculty of Economics at the Kabul University said, “Many regional countries fell need to new economic relations and without joint cooperation based on mutual benefit none of them manage to get rid of their problems. Iran and Afghanistan cannot be an exception from this rule.
India can develop its economic relations with Afghanistan through Chabahar port”. He added, both India and Afghanistan are declined to seek secure ways except Pakistan for development of their trade-economic ties as the Chabahar port contains big capacities for implementation of this goal and this is an issue that both Afghanistan and India are well-awash on its importance. Afghan trader Taj Mohammad in Herat Industrial Parks said the Afghans have always been trying to develop trade relations the world countries including India as both countries have been maintaining old ties since long times and various Afghan products supplied to Indian markets. Therefore availability of Chabahar port can provide many useful opportunities for traders of both nations. Touching the challenges created by Pakistani authorities to Afghan traders, he said since long time, the Pakistani authorities have imposed restrictions on Afghan businessmen and we had to seek alternative ways. Chabahar port in Iran was a unique facility. It is availability was an effective step for us. Appreciating India contribution for training of ANSF, a number of Afghan people said we hope India would be loyal to its commitments post-2016 to Afghanistan. Farhad student of a private university said India beside its generous assistance to Afghanistan, has never disturbed Afghan refugees living India which is indicator of her friendship and sincerity with Afghan people. Riaszada
