IDSA_Indias Policy Towards West Asia_index.pmd

During the last ten years, several issues such as the Arab Spring, the emergence and spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the COVID-19 pandemic, oil price fluctuations, and the parlous situation in Yemen, Syria and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the Israel-Palestine conflict, have severely challenged the politics, economy and security of the region. [...] The New Delhi Declaration also underscored the mutual interest of India and Iran in fully utilising the North-South transit routes and enhancing infrastructure connectivity.8 However, significant progress on the Chabahar Port and the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor could only be achieved after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. [...] The highlight of the visit was the signing of the India, Iran and Afghanistan Trilateral Agreement, also known as the Chabahar Agreement, on the establishment of an International Transit and Transport Corridor, also called the Chabahar Agreement. [...] While welcoming the interest of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in joining the 12-member multimodal corridor project, the minister noted that an ‘eastern corridor through Afghanistan’ would maximise the potential of the project.9 In a nutshell, Chabahar Port, despite the challenges posed to its development by the US sanctions and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, has emerged as a flagbearer of India. [...] Though defence and security cooperation was not mentioned in the Charter of the GCC, the issue has emerged as a key component of discussion over the years because of the continuing threat perception for the member States and the need to stay united in the face of such threats.