Obama must support Modi on the Chabahar deal with Iran
New Delhi, June 7: Inking the Chabahar port deal with Iran is extremely beneficial for India. The terms state that India will provide $500 million to develop a port in the southern Iranian city of Chabahar. A pledge to invest 16 billion dollars in a free trade zone around the city has also been made.
Michael
Kugelman,
Senior
Associate
for
South
and
Southeast
Asia
Woodrow
Wilson
International
Center
for
Scholars,
Washington
DC
says
that
the
Chabahar
deals
geopolitical
ramifications
are
enormous.
He
further
says
that
US
president,
Barack
Obama
should
announce
his
unequivocal
support
to
the
deal.
Kugelman says that Obama should express his unequivocal support for the deal-and propose ways to help achieve its potential. The Chabahar deal could benefit two of Washington's key South Asian friends in a big way.
Modi's best men will oversee speedy implementation of Chabahar Project
First, it gives India the opportunity to tap into the vast natural gas riches of Central Asia. Additionally, with a stronger foothold in Iran, New Delhi will be better positioned to tap into Iran's own gas reserves.
In an article written foreignaffairs.com, Kugelman explains that the deal could bring Afghanistan badly needed new sources of revenue. The Afghan economy, which relies heavily on foreign assistance, is gasping for air.
The foreign troop drawdown has reduced Afghanistan's once-strong war economy, and international donors are starting to back away.
Finally, the Chabahar deal could help all four countries by building the trust necessary to generate more meaningful trilateral cooperation on challenges like ISIS and the Afghanistan drug trade-issues of great concern to all involved.
Kugelman further points out that US support for the deal would also send a conciliatory message to Tehran. Siding with Iran in ways that extend beyond nuclear cooperation would generate some much-needed goodwill-and give Tehran something to chew on as it contemplates its future relationship with the Taliban.
OneIndia News