Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, on a visit to India, has called on New Delhi to engage with the United States for lifting sanctions on the strategically important Chabahar port in Iran.
Speaking at an interactive session with industry representatives organized by Ficci, Muttaqi emphasized the need for “optimum utilization” of the port, which India has been developing, particularly the Shahid Beheshti terminal. The Taliban-ruled nation’s foreign minister noted that the issue of sanctions had also been raised in Afghanistan’s discussions with the US.
“In Chabahar, it is our view that its optimum utilization should be achieved. Both countries—India and the US—should make efforts to lift restrictions. We also raised this issue with the US, and India must do the same,” Muttaqi said.
He further stressed the importance of facilitating people-to-people exchanges, calling for easier visa processes to allow more Afghan nationals to visit India for trade, medical treatment, and tourism. “Visas should be issued more freely; people come, flights operate, passports are available—what is missing is visas,” he said.
Muttaqi also urged India to allow Afghanistan’s participation in trade fairs and exhibitions and invited Indian businesses to invest in sectors such as mining, power generation, and agriculture in Afghanistan.
The remarks come in the backdrop of the US revoking the 2018 sanctions waiver on Chabahar port last September, a move that had affected the development and operational dynamics of the strategically located port on Iran’s southern coast.