Reacting to the United States potentially sanctioning India after the latter signed a 10-year agreement to run the Chabahar port in Iran, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that people should not have a “narrow view” as the project will “benefit everyone.”

“I saw some of the remarks that were made,” Jaishankar said on Tuesday in Kolkata, referring to comments made by Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson, US State Department.

“But I think it is a question of communicating, convincing, and getting people to understand that this (Chabahar port) is actually for everyone’s benefit. There should not be any narrow view for it,” the EAM said.

The United States, Jaishankar further stated, did not take a “negative view” of Chabahar in the past, adding that the US itself “appreciated” Chabahar’s “larger relevance.”

Jaishankar also explained why India, despite a long association with the project, could not sign a long-term pact with Iran earlier.

“There were various problems on the Iranian end, such as changes in the joint-venture partner, conditions etc. Finally, we were able to sort this out and get the long-term agreement done. The deal is necessary because without it, you cannot really improve the port operation. Its operation, we believe, will benefit the entire region,” the minister said.

The Long-Term Bilateral Contract was signed between Indian Ports Global Limited (IPCL) and Iran’s Port & Maritime Organization (PMO) on Monday.

A flagship project between the two countries, Chabahar serves as an important transit port for trade with Afghanistan, and landlocked countries in central Asia. Under the contract, the Government of India has offered credit worth $250 million to develop infrastructure around this strategic facility in the Gulf of Oman.

(With ANI inputs)

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