Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary for East in the Ministry of
External Affairs, highlighted the port’s growing potential for improving
connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia in recent years.
“As the Trump administration threatens to roll back the
sanction waiver that allowed India to develop the strategic Chabahar port in
Iran, the Indian government Monday strongly backed the port, saying it has
provided a much-needed alternative route to Afghanistan for its reconstruction
and economic development, while boosting trade linkages with Central Asia,” he
was quoted as saying by Times of India.
The remarks came ahead of Modi’s planned visit to the United
States to meet US President Donald Trump for discussions focusing on averting a
potentially devastating trade war between the two allies.