The Hindu : India, Iran unveil road diplomacy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 26, 2003

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National

India, Iran unveil road diplomacy

By C. Raja Mohan

The Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, being welcomed by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, during the ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday. The Minister of State for External Affairs, Digvijay Singh, is also seen. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI Jan. 25. In a move that could radically alter the geopolitics of the region, India and Iran today agreed to step up work on transport projects that link the subcontinent with the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe.

The projects announced today by the visiting Iranian President, Syed Mohammed Khatami, and the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, as part of a new road map to strategic cooperation, would increase the leverage of India and Iran in the Great Game for accessing the landlocked resources and markets of Eurasia.

Ever since the Partition in 1947, Pakistan had blocked India's access to Afghanistan and beyond. The new transport corridors through Iran could liberate India from the geographic constraints imposed by the division of the subcontinent.

The transport links reinforce Iran's claim as the natural gateway between Eurasia and the Indian Ocean littoral. An early completion of these transport corridors could give Iran an edge over Pakistan which wants to control access routes and energy pipelines from land-locked Central Asia.

At a press conference here, Mr. Vajpayee stated that the two countries are determined to "consolidate, expand and diversify'' the bilateral relations with clear targets to be achieved over the next five years.

In the New Delhi Declaration they signed this evening, the two leaders recognised that their "growing strategic convergence need to be underpinned with a strong economic relationship''.

In boosting the economic content of the relationship, the focus is on building transport corridors and deepening energy cooperation.

Among the three transport projects to be taken up in Iran is the development of a new port complex at Chah Bahar on the coast of Iran, from where a road goes north to the border with Afghanistan.

India has agreed to build a link from Zaranj on the Iran-Afghan border to Delaram on the garland road that connects all major cities in Afghanistan.

This road also links up further north with the Central Asian republics.

The second project involves the linking of the Chah Bahar port to the Iranian rail network which is connected to Central Asia and Europe.

For Iran, the Chah Bahar complex could become the main entrepot for energy and commercial trade with Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Caspian region.

Islamabad, too, has been pursuing a similar objective and has plans to develop the Gwadar port not too far away from Chah Bahar on the Makaran coast of Pakistan. A third project is about building marine oil tanking terminal in Iran.

The "full significance'' of the joint projects between India and Iran, Mr. Vajpayee said, "will come out after some time''. Mr. Khatami said, Iran "welcomes the presence of India in scientific and commercial fields in Central Asia''.

As they laid out the contours of the strategic partnership, the two leaders assured the world that their cooperation was not directed against any third party.

The two sides agreed today to develop a mutually-satisfactory mechanism to transport natural gas from Iran to India by overcoming the remaining obstacles. They are also exploring the prospects for broader defence cooperation.

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