Chabahar not a rival to Gwadar, Iranian envoy tells Pakistan

[tarrar]

I understand this game play very well been played by Iran, Afghanis & India.

 

[nang2]

Gwadar port gives the western China an easier access to the middle east. But China does not develop Gwadar port for the sake of port access only. It is a part of a whole package that improves the environment of western China, economical and strategic. It also serves as a backup energy route in case of emergency. After all, US rules the sea.

Chabahar port is good for Iran and Afghan. Especially for Afghan as it provides more alternative routes for this land locked country. But doesn't provide much more value to Chinese comparing with Gwadar port. Rail route to Iran is important for China but that is mainly for the aim of connecting to Europe. I don't know what India gets from this port. I don't buy the argument that Gwadar development cuts India off. Economically that is impossible.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

For God Sake stop comparing Gawader with Chabahar. Gawader business magnitude is way higher than mini Iranian port. More importantly Chabahar will be connected with Gawader and Indians influence will only be restricted to as customers in years to come.

 

[JOEY TRIBIANI]

People do not understand Iran's tilt towards India but when the time was right to step on American toes and develop relations with Iran despite the sanctions to escape the hold of America we refused the option. India at the time bought oil from Iran. So we were the ones who missed a great opportunity. As a Pakistani the chahbahar project handed to India even worries a Iran sympathizer like me but we have to keep things in perpective. US destroyed an entire plane full of Iranians and we are the same countries satellite state. That is bound to create some ripples in the relationship.

Pakistan should quickly reach out to Iran and allay their concerns. Talks are very important for relations and we should always keep talking.

Why should we reach them ? They still have to answer about yadav .

 

[MilSpec]

still it will be less then 10,300 Km from Iran..

2500km ruote in Pakistan, Kashgar to xian 3800km according to you.. which mean its total is 6300km.. nearly 40% less then Iran rail link..



They rail link distance is more then 10,300km (presented link earlier).. also Pakistan has exiting rail network in most of the country and we are working on 680km rail link from China.. the distance from western China till gawadar will always be under 2500km whether you go from road or rail... now tell me which is more feasible?

Where is the question of feasibility, For India Chabahar is the only option.

For God Sake stop comparing Gawader with Chabahar. Gawader business magnitude is way higher than mini Iranian port. More importantly Chabahar will be connected with Gawader and Indians influence will only be restricted to as customers in years to come.

Yupp, chabahar is inconsequential. It's just a port that India is facilitating, It has nothing to do with gawadar or Chinese investments in Pakistan.

 

[haviZsultan]

Why should we reach them ? They still have to answer about yadav .

I know its hard but if you look critically its us who are being surrounded. We cannot afford enmity with Afghanistan India and Bengal and add Iran to it. If you look critically Iran's path can be changed, Afghanistan will always blame us for durand line and Bengal for 71. We need to add allies to our basket not enemies. I have already noted the problem through Iran's eyes even though it is deeply worrying for me to see chahbahar go to India. But sometimes shotgun diplomacy can change an entire situation from going worse.

We are an American satellite and Iran a Mullah republic. Both are equally despicable and all such regimes on such extreme ends have difficulty working with each other. Add to that a porous border, our refusal to help Iran up during sanctions and use of Balochistan for spying on Ira through US drones. Then we had border tension as well with Jundullah using our border.

@Serpentine @New I am worried about chahbahar port going to the Indians. Don't you know Modi is a butcher of muslims? Iran could lose its muslim regional power status if it stops looking out for muslim interests. What is needed to improve Pak-Iran relations and what could we or Iran do better?

 

[sady]

Eventually this complicated enemy of your enemy situation is gonna settle down into regional co operation between all parties. US will have to accept the ground realities, You cannot stop China and you cannot inflate India while both remain entangled in geography. Sanity will prevail and through nations like Iran where interests will merge.

 

[Max]

@Max

This kind of Map will be helpful to understand the grand designs of Chinese Future plans for Gwadar and Chabahar
View attachment 307258


THE 10,500km (6,500 mile) journey from Yiwu City in eastern China through Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was sluggish. But when the first Chinese train pulled into Tehran station after a 14-day haul, Iranian officials hailed a great leap forward. “We’re becoming the global hub between east and west,” boasted one minister. By April, when the new trans-Kazakh railway opens fully, executives in Iran hope to have cut the journey time to China (see map) to just eight days—a month less than the sea route takes. Should Turkey get on board, the line might even challenge the Suez Canal as a primary Chinese and Iranian route to Europe. Iranian companies will no longer be limited to an 80m-strong local market, President Hassan Rohani’s advisers promise, but will be connected to the European Union’s 500m.

even if you start from outside china, Which route is shorter for Chinese ME and Africa bound trade.. ?

Where is the question of feasibility, For India Chabahar is the only option.

Its was @Laozi who was saying Iranian rail link and Chahbahar is better then CPEC for China..

 

[MilSpec]

Its was @Laozi who was saying Iranian rail link and Chahbahar is better then CPEC for China..

Its quite simple, we would like to trade with Iran, afghanistan and other countries in the region. We cannot use the route through Pakistan, hence we have to make some alternative arrangement. We are just upgrading the port in Iran to do so, that's it.

 

[somebozo]

Iranian Ambassador can go to hell for all anyone cares..Chahbar does not connect any major producing or consuming economy..

 

[New]

@Serpentine @New I am worried about chahbahar port going to the Indians. Don't you know Modi is a butcher of muslims? Iran could lose its muslim regional power status if it stops looking out for muslim interests. What is needed to improve Pak-Iran relations and what could we or Iran do better?

Dear my friend, you've got all the legitimate right to be worried of the content, and believe me I'm all and anything but a fan or someone who praise current Iranian policies. But I've got some points maybe of some value to share;
1) Anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Off all the possibilities lets assume there might be some long term security threats regarding you guys. In no one's even wildest dreams that threat's ain't gonna be an existential threat for a country like Pakistan, but it would may cause some concerns, maybe leading to a more tighten security policy for the area, leading even to a more economically sustainable environment, cause you know the most vital factor for a financial investor is the security of the location.
2) Iran and Pakistan ain't sitting on different boats regarding the security of the Baluchestan region, and for sure any turbulence in the pakistan side of the border would have it's effect on the Iranian side, so rest assured that a secure and safe region is in the long term interests os the both sides.
3) In contradiction to most analysis's here, I would like to mention that the most important development agent for the Gwader port is the existence of the Chabahar, and it's exactly the same for Chabahar, cause each one of them only contributes to the security and safeness of the region and would only reassure the investors (Mainly private Investors) of the return for their investment, and as I have mentioned when there is a great opportunity (as the investment potential for creating not just two maga ports in that region but a good dozen of them (you can check the frequency of for example french mega ports) , the only elements vital to improvement are security and competition, that both would only mean nothing but the importance of development of both ports in the same time.
4) and regarding your legitimate concerns of the Indian involvement in the Chabahar, I'd like to only mention a great quote by Sun Tzu, that says: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer".