What’s Happening Between China, Iran & India?
Recently, Rajnath Singh, the Indian Defence Minister attended the SCO Summit 2020 in July which was held in Moscow, Russia this year. This was followed by an unscheduled visit to Tehran with Amir Hatami, the Iranian Brigadier General to reportedly secure the 2016 Chabahar Port that was signed between India and Iran.
The 2020 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was held in July at Moscow and aims to strengthen good-neighbourly relations and mutual confidence between members countries in order to promote cooperation in trade, economy, science and tech, politics, culture, education, energy, environmental protection and much more. After his attendance at the Summit, the Indian Defence Minister decided to reroute his trip and instead of heading back home to India, decided to pay an unscheduled visit to the Indian Brigadier General in hopes to secure a deal over the Chabahar Port that was signed between India and Iran in 2016.
This deal entailed India investing $8 Billion in the Chabahar Port and the connected Chabar Special Economic Zone industry of aluminium smelting, urea production, and a transit railway project route to Afghanistan and central Asia. The railway project was supposed to be a part of India’s investment and promise for a trilateral deal between India, Iran, and Afghanistan for the development of a route that would bypass Pakistan completely. However, Iran “kicked out” India from the deal in July 2020 after citing funding delays from New Delhi – likely the reason for Singh’s visit with Hatami.
Reportedly, India is now attempting to save the Chabahar port deal and prevent one from being signed between Iran and China that is worth a massive $400 Billion. After Singh’s visit, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Indian External Affairs Minister also visited Tehran in his own capacity, tweeting:
A productive meeting with FM @JZarif during a stopover in Tehran. Discussed strengthening our bilateral cooperation and reviewed regional developments. Thank him for his gracious hospitality. pic.twitter.com/Ec9sqO5I6U
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 8, 2020
Stay tuned with Media Quotient Inc. for updates on the deal involving India, Iran, China, Afghanistan, and the Iranian Chabahar port.
Credit: Construction Business News ME