India’s Chabahar moment as first shipment of wheat leaves for Afghanistan
Opening a new chapter in enhancing connectivity to Afghanistan, India has sent the first shipment of wheat to Kabul through Iran’s Chabahar port, bypassing Pakistan.The first wheat shipment was flagged off by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani on October 29 through a joint video conference. It has been hailed by New Delhi as a landmark moment paving the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan.
With US President Donald Trump envisaging a pivotal role for India in stabilising Afghanistan, Washington has taken a softer approach towards India’s Chabahar port drive. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, during his recent visit to India, had clarified that the US would not impede any “legitimate business” between Iran and other countries in the region.