Talks With Chinese Underway for Entering Iran Chabahar Port

The CEO of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) says currently China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia have some asked to enter Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar that talks with the Chinese have been serious. Speaking to ILNA and touching upon the complaints of owners of goods and traders for prolongation of plying of ships between the northern ports and Russian ports, Ali Akbar Safaei said that there is no delay on this route and the linear is active in the Caspian Sea and all freight ships continue their journey on this route so that freight ships take five days to reach its destination on this route. The secretary of the shipping association had claimed that an Iranian ship can travel just at most 1.5 times per month on this route.

When he was asked about the duration of port operation in the Astara Khan Port of Russia, Safaei said that there is some timetable defined for the ship linear and the duration of travel is very less than the claimed duration and the route of voyage from northern ports to Kazakhstan port with inclusion of two stops in two ports just will take 6 days and if the ship starts its journey from Anzali Port to Astara Khan directly, it will take only 5 days but the period of anchoring and port operation depends on the amount and volume of loading and unloading, and sometimes the ship is stopped in the ports due to different reasons.

Touching upon the investment of Russians in the northern ports of Iran, Safaei said that Russians have entered investment in Iran’s logistic sector and they are serious for investment in this field due to the problems created after war with Ukraine and so far they have had 12 meetings regarding investment in Iran’s ports but details have not been finalized yet. On the necessity of dredging Volga River, he emphasized that currently the problem for reaching Russia and Russian ports is the dredging Volga River and there have been some talks with Russians and Russians are working on holding the tender for dredging Volga River and Iranian companies take part in the tender for dredging the Volga River. Safaei pointed to the effectiveness of sea transportation in pick-up in the North-South Corridor and said that to activate this corridor, the shipping fleet capacity of the Caspian Sea especially ro-ro ships should increase, adding that currently the sea fleet capacity of the country has reached 30m and for renovating the shipping fleet, the country needs building and purchase of 150 ships.

On the requests of foreign companies for operating Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar, he said that the organization is in talks with some countries for new operator in the Chabahar Port but the process is very long because talks for investments need more time. He added that the organization is keen for involvement of private sectors of those countries in Iran’s ports and currently China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia have shown their interests and talks with the Chinese are in the serious. - Iran News