Image for representational purpose only.
KABUL: The first shipment of wheat from India transshipped via Iran's Chabahar Port arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday.
On the arrival of the first shipment here, senior Afghan officials and the Indian Ambassador to Kabul Manpreet Vohra attended a ceremony to inaugurate the new trade route.
"With the opening of Chabahar Port, Afghanistan will no longer be dependent on Karachi Port,” the Tolo News quoted Nimroz Governor Mohammad Samiullah as saying.
“This port will create thousands of jobs and bring billions of dollars in revenue to Afghanistan, Iran and India,” Samiullah added.
Ambassador Vohra said the port provides easy and short connectivity between countries in the region.
Vohra emphasized that this shipment is part of the wheat promised by India to Afghanistan.
On October 29, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan H.E. Salahuddin Rabbani, through a joint video conference, flagged off the shipment.
Six more wheat shipments will be sent to Afghanistan from India over the next few months. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continue their cooperation for the benefit and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan and the region.
The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan. It will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Afghanistan and enhance trade and commerce between the three countries and the wider region.
