Kazakhstan Bets on Iran Port Despite Regional Tensions
Drone Strike Shuts Russia's Largest Refinery as Fuel Shortages Worsen Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on… Despite lingering tension between the United States and Iran, Kazakhstan is planning to build a terminal at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to facilitate exports.
In comments made before a joint session of the Kazakh parliament in late June, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said no state funds would be used in developing the planned facility, which will occupy roughly 15 hectares at the Iranian port.
“The project will be implemented at the expense of private investment.
As far as I know, the agreement is already at the final stage: the terms of the lease have been agreed,” the state news agency KazinformquotedZhumangarin as telling legislators.
Kazakhstan would ship goods from the western city of Aktau to the Iranian port via an existing rail link via Turkmenistan.
“This gives Kazakhstan direct access to the markets of India, East Africa, the Persian Gulf countries and Southeast Asia.
This is the goal of the project,” Zhumangarin said, adding that the government believes that the sanctions regime on Iran will be eased soon as part of the settlement to end the US-Iranian conflict.
The Iranian arrangement is not dimming Kazakhstan’s interest in diversifying its global trade options.
According to Zhumangarin, the government remains intent on pursuing the construction of a trans-Afghan railway to gain access to Pakistan’s deep-water ports.
Referring to the trade disruption caused by the US-Iran conflict, while noting Bandar Abbas is in the Gulf behind the Strait of Hormuz, the deputy prime minister said: “I hope that such a situation will not be repeated in the near future, but this is a serious signal for us to take into account alternative logistics routes.” Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to forge a trans-Afghan railway, striving to open an export route to Pakistani ports, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s press servicereports.
Work is starting on a variety of infrastructure projects inside Uzbekistan to facilitate trade via a trans-Afghan route.
Meanwhile, work is also underway on a railway connecting Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to China.
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