Omani investors visit Chabahar, Shahid Rajaie ports

A senior Omani official said his country's investors plan to make huge investments in Iran's southern port city of Chabahar.
"The goal of my visit to Chabahar is to find out more about the capacities of Chabahar Port and free zone for port, transit and railroad investment projects," Khalid bin Hamd Mohammad al-Keylani, the head of an Omani delegation visiting Chabahar, said during his visit to the Iranian port on Wednesday.

Keylani described lack of familiarity with each other's capacities as the main obstacle to reciprocal trade and investment activities, Fars News Agency reported.

"Iran and Oman should implement the many memoranda of understanding (MoUs) they have already signed," he said.

Another economic delegation from Oman visited Shahid Rajaie Port Complex to discuss bilateral cooperation in the framework of multilateral agreements called Ashgabat Agreement, a report said.

The visit is part of the cooperation agreement involving Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, IRNA reported on Friday.

Deputy Director of Hormuzgan's Ports and Maritime Organization Mojtaba Khoshniat welcomed the foreign guests to boost economic and regional cooperation in transportation field.

Faisal bin Abdul Karim Balochi, the head of Sohar Port and Free Trade Zone, presented a report on the current situation of the port.

The economic delegation also paid a visit to loading and unloading facilities of Shahid Rajaie Port Complex, as well as domestic and foreign ships docked there.

Chabahar is a strategic port in southwest Iran linking Persian Gulf to Central Asia. Several countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, have outlined plans to make huge investments in the city.

In 2013, Afghanistan's ex-ambassador to Iran, Nasir Ahmad Nour, said Kabul is ready to invest in Iran's southern port city of Chabahar.

Describing Iran-Afghanistan transactions as growing, Ahmad Nour said Kabul is interested in making investments in Chabahar Free Trade Zone.

Iran, India and Afghanistan have signed a transit agreement. India held discussions with Iran on Chabahar Port during Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to Tehran in May 2013.

Chabahar Port, which is located 72 kilometers west of Pakistan's Gwadar Port, holds immense strategic and economic significance for Iran's neighboring countries.

https://www.zawya.com/story/Omani_investors_visit_Chabahar_Shahid_Rajaie_ports-ZAWYA20140524074949/