TEHRAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran says it is ready to connect Pakistan's Gwadar port to Iran's Chabahar port to promote trades, Press TV reported on Friday.
The proposal was put forward by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif upon his arrival in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Thursday.
"I've come here with a proposal for the government of Pakistan for connection between Chabahar and Gwadar... We believe that Chabahar and Gwadar can complement each other," Zarif said.
"We can connect Chabahar and Gwadar, and then through that connect Gwadar to our entire railroad system, from Iran to the North Corridor, through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and also through Azerbaijan, Russia, and through Turkey," he was quoted as saying.
Iran, India and Afghanistan signed a trilateral transit agreement in Tehran in May 2016, which allows the three countries to open new routes of connection by converting Chabahar port into a transit hub.
According to another agreement signed on Feb. 17, 2018, Iran allowed India to operate its southern port Shahid Beheshti, a move that could enable India to dodge Pakistan and reach markets in Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.
Based on the deal, Iran granted the operational rights of Shahid Beheshti, located in Chabahar port city area on the northern side of the Sea of Oman, to India for 18 months.
