TEHRAN (Iran News) –Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari says creating and developing corridors is very important for the country and Iran welcomes any investment from the regional and neighboring countries in these corridors.
Speaking in a national conference on developing Makran Coasts, Safari said that Makran coasts extends from Jask to Chabahar Port and this area because of vicinity to the Strait of Hormuz can encourage foreign countries for investment in this area, adding that countries like India, China and Russia are interested in investment in onshore and offshore of Chabahar.
He reiterated that the goal behind growth of Makran is to increase exports to the target countries, adding that blue economy in the field of aquatic animals and ports is very important and one of the export goals of Iran in the field of aquatic is China. He added that Iran saw 67% increase in exports in this field comparing to the previous year and China accounted for 92% of this amount.
Safari said that China needs over 500,000 tons of shrimp that Iran has so far exported some 32,000 tons and it has receive required license for exporting 5 to 6 types of fish to China that it can export up to 500,000 tons.
He went on to say that they should talk with China for production especially for fish in the cage, adding that the country should attract investors to bring investment for purchase.
Safari went on to say that the main goal in the field of aquatic animals is the exports to China and some Far East Asian countries, admitting that the regional markets do not have high capacities for exports comparing to China.
He said that Chanahar is a special area with special license which is not under sanctions and since 2015, Indians have been supposed to invest but we did not have any move to attract them and no sustainable agreement has been signed and it prolongs, reiterating that the ground for investment of Indians in Chabahar should be reinforced as soon as possible in order to form the north-south corridor that India is one party of the corridor.
Safari reiterated that India is very strategic for Iran, add9ing that India is the only country which backs Iran’s policies in Afghanistan but it does not mean that Iran does not support presences of other countries of the region in Makran.
Touching upon investment in two ports of Jask and Chabahar, he said that they have talked with Indians and the Chinese, adding that they are interested in completing the chain and taking their products in the field of petrochemical and petro refinery.
Safari then talked about attracting investment in the fields of ports, aquatic animals, petrochemical and petro chemical and said that they are of main goals of blue economy, adding that construction of ports for corridors is very important and Oman, Qatar and the UAE, Central Asian countries and Russia cooperate with Iran.
He added that Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are interested in creating a logistical base in Chabahar for exporting their goods to India and Oman.
Safari reiterated that construction and development of corridor Iran is very important for Iran, adding that north-south corridor is not only for Russia but it is for the Caucasus, Black Sea and Europe.
He noted that some shipping routes have been launched to China, India, Oman and Qatar via Chabahar.
