India should engage with US for lifting of sanctions on Chabahar port: Afghan Foreign Min

New Delhi: India should engage with the US for lifting sanctions on the Chabahar port, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Monday.

The Taliban-ruled nation's foreign minister, currently on a visit to India, asserted that it is in favour of the optimum utilisation of the strategically located port, and has also raised the issue of the removal of restrictions in its meetings with the US.

He also pitched for more visas to be issued by India for increased trade, medical tourism and people-to-people exchange.

"...You (India) issue visas, make the visa processes easier, flights come and go, there is no issue, passports are there, there is no issue, what is not there is visas, give visas (jo nahin hai woh visas, visa deyo)," Muttaqi said.

India is a major partner in the development of the Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan province, Iran's southern coast. It is currently operating the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the port.

In September, the Trump administration decided to revoke the 2018 sanctions waiver with regard to the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran.

In Chabahar, it is also our view that its optimum utilisation should be achieved. Both countries (India and the US) should make efforts to lift restrictions. We also raised this issue with the US when we met them, and India must also do the same ("Chabahar ke baare mein humaari bhi ye koshish hai ki uska zyada se zyada faayda uthana chahiye...America ki taraf se jo paabandiyan hain... Dono mulk koshish karein, hum bhi America ke sath mulakat mein yahi baat uthata hai ki wahan pe jo pabandiyan hain usko dur karna chahiye aur Hindustan ki taraf se bhi yeh hona chahiye"), Muttaqi said.

The minister also said that an even higher number of people should be allowed to come to India by the grant of visas for media treatment purposes.

"Abhi bhi log aata hai lekin zyada hone chahiye," Muttaqi said.

He also made a case for Afghanistan to be invited to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions held in India, and invited Indian businesses to invest in Afghanistan in sectors like mining, power generation, and agriculture.

He was speaking in an interactive session with the industry representatives here at an event organised by industry body Ficci.