NEW DELHI – India is shipping its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan by sea through Iran’s strategic Chahbahar Port, launching a trade route bypassing longtime rival Pakistan.
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The shipment, an Indian gift for Afghanistan, was sent from the western seaport of Kandla on Sunday. It will be taken by trucks to Afghanistan from the Iranian port.
The new trade route follows an air freight corridor introduced between India and Afghanistan in June last year to provide greater access for Afghan goods to the Indian market.
Pakistan currently does not allow India to transport through its territory to Afghanistan because of hostility in their ties. It sees no role by Indian in Afghanistan.
India, Afghanistan and Iran last year decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries.
