Afghanistan’s first shipment of goods will head to India through Iran’s Chabahar Port on Sunday.

According to Tolo News, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri announced that the shipment would head to Chabahar Port from Zaranj City in Nimroz province in the west of Afghanistan.

The cargo will contain 570 tonnes of export goods carried by 23 vehicles. “As part of the transit routes inaugurated by the Afghan government, the first shipment of Afghan export goods will head to Chabahar Port from Zaranj city through Abrisham Bridge, and then to India,” he said.

Pakistan’s troubled neighbourhood

“This is the first time that Afghanistan will be directly connected with India by using Chabahar Port.”

The spokesman said President Ghani would travel to Nimroz province on Sunday for a special ceremony to mark the first export through the Iranian port.

“Chabahar Port is the result of cooperation between Iran, India, and Afghanistan. This will ensure enhanced connectivity and economic growth for all countries. Other countries in the region should also utilise the economic potential of regional projects and enhance state-to-state cooperation,” said the spokesman.

Chabahar Port is a key trade port for Afghanistan, providing the landlocked country direct sea access.

US exempts India-backed port in Iran from sanctions

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan agreed to establish a ‘Transit and Transport Corridor’ among the three countries using Chabahar Port as a regional hub for sea transportation.

In February 2018, Iran announced its decision to lease operational control of Chabahar to New Delhi for 18 months. The port’s commercial operations commenced on December 30 last year when MV Macheras, a Cyprus-registered vessel, arrived with over 72,000 megatons of corn