India Denies Being Left Out of Iran’s Chabahar Rail Line Project
POLITICS / K. Venkateshwar Rao 30 JULY 2020 India is denying media reports that it has been left out of Iran’s Chabahar railway line project following China’s cheap proposal. Delhi cast the reports as speculative and stated that Tehran is yet to nominate an authorized entity to settle the outstanding technical and financial issues related to the venture. Iran has reportedly cited delays from India in funding and starting the project for its decision. The 2016 India-Iran Agreement India and Iran had signed an agreement to construct the rail line in May 2016. The railway project was a venture between the state-owned Indian Railways Construction Limited and the Iranian railways. It was a part of the trilateral agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan to build an alternate trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Located 72 kilometers west of Pakistan’s Gwadar port, the route holds economic and strategic significance for India. The Chabahar-Zahedan rail line will ult...