TEHRAN – During a planned visit to New Delhi, Iran’s Minister of Roads andUrban Development and his Indian counterpart are expected to make the finaldecision about details of a deal on financing a railroad linking theIranian southeastern cities of Zahedan and Chabahar, an official said.link>link>link>link>

In a meeting with India’s ambassador to Tehran, Iranian Deputy RoadMinister Kheirollah Khademi highlighted the significance of financing forthe major railroad project southeast of Iran.

In his trip to India, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development AbbasAkhoundi would hold talks on Tehran-New Delhi cooperation in thetransportation industry and details of an agreement on Indian financing forthe completion of Zahedan-Chabahar railroad would be finalized, Khademiadded.

For his part, the envoy voiced New Delhi’s willingness to cooperate withTehran in carrying out the railroad project, which would facilitate exportsvia Iran’s strategic port city of Chabahar.

In August 2017, India’s Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkarivisited Iran for talks on various issues, including the development ofChabahar.

Chabahar is the closest and best access point of Iran to the Indian Oceanand Iran has devised serious plans to turn it into a transit hub forimmediate access to markets in the northern part of the Indian Ocean andCentral Asia.

Based on a preliminary agreement signed between the two countries last in2015, India was supposed invest $85 million over the construction of twoberths at Chabahar port. It was halted, however, after India postponed thepayment of its investment share.