S Jaishankar responds to US sanction warning over Chabahar Port deal
A day after the US warned of a “potential risk of sanctions” following India’s signing of a 10-year agreement to manage the Chabahar Port in Iran, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed that the project will benefit the entire region, and people should not take a “narrow view” of it.
He also mentioned how the US had already acknowledged Chabahar’s greater significance.
The EAM was addressing at a discussion that followed the launch of Bangla edition of his book “Why Bharat Matters” in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Speaking at an event by Calcutta Citizens’ Initiative in Kolkata. https://t.co/dr2RhLzSx2
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 14, 2024
Asked about the remarks made by the US, Jaishankar responded, “I saw some of the remarks made, but I think it’s a question of communicating, convincing and getting people to understand that this is actually for everyone’s benefit. People shouldn’t have a narrow view of things, in my opinion.”
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“They (US) have not done so in the past. So, if you look at the US’ own attitude towards the port in Chabahar, the US has been appreciative of the fact that Chabahar has a larger relevance…we will work at it,” he added.
US issued warning about ‘possible risk of sanctions’
The United States issued a warning earlier on Tuesday, saying that “anyone” thinking about doing business with Tehran should be mindful of the “possible risk of sanctions.”
“I would just say…US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them,” the US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel said at the press briefing.
“Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk they are opening themselves up to, potential risk of sanctions,” he added.
Also read: Minister of Ports & Shipping heads to Iran to Finalize 10-Year Agreement for Chabahar Port
On Monday, the Port & Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran and Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) inked a Long-Term Bilateral Contract on Chabahar Port Operation, allowing Shahid-Behesti port to operate as part of the Chabahar Port Development Project for ten years.
Jaishankar went on to say that although India has a long history with the project, it was crucial that they were unable to reach a long-term agreement. He went on to say that the long-term deal that New Delhi signed will help the entire area because it was able to resolve the issues.
