Iran, Italy explore shipping route between Chabahar and Venice

Iran and Italy are exploring possibilities for launching a key shipping route that could help increase trade between the port of Chabahar, southeast of Iran, to Venice, in northern Italy.

A Sunday report on the website of the Port and Maritime Organization of Iran (PMO) said a visiting delegation representing a major Italian transportation group had met officials from the organization earlier in the day to discuss plans for the shipping route, Press TV reported.

PMO chief Mohammad Rastad said the Iranian government would support plans for the route as it seeks to frequent Chabahar as a key trade hub on the mouth of the Sea of Oman.

Rastad said load and unload capacity in Chabahar, a port where India is also making considerable investment, would reach 50 million tons a year from the current 8.5 million tons.

He said a railway project connecting the port to Zahedan, near the Iranian-Afghan border, would significantly boost trade between the Indian Ocean and countries in the Central Asia region.

The Venice Maritime Cluster, a major transportation group based in Italy, is behind plans for setting up the sea route connecting Chabahar to the major Italian port.

Secretary General of the group Paolo Malaguti told Iranian authorities on Sunday that there was a high potential in Chabahar and its adjacent special economic zone, saying both Iran and Italy would benefit from establishing the shipping route connecting the port to Venice.

He said Iran and other countries in the region could use the shipping route to export their products to countries across Europe as a railway that connects Padua, near Venice, to other parts of the continent would provide huge facilities for trade groups operating on the route.

Malaguti said Italy and other European countries were also aiming to use the route for increased exports via Iran to Central Asian countries.

SS