Inter-governmental panel on the cards to resolve Chabahar Port row

Iran wants domestic resolution; India for international arbitration framework

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Uzbekistan visit for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week, talks between India and Iran for a long-term agreement for the usage of Chabahar Port have hit a roadblock because of differences on a ‘dispute resolution mechanism’.

India is yet to approve a proposal sent by Iran recently for a 10-year agreement for Chabahar Port. Senior officials in the know said, a key issue requiring consensus is an arbitration clause. While Iran is pitching for their own agency to act as an arbitrator for the port, India has proposed international arbitration.

“There are legislative concerns