TEHRAN – In the fourth meeting of Makran Coasts Development Supreme Council, a comprehensive plan for the development of the mentioned region was reviewed and the general outlines of the plan were approved, Shana reported.

In this meeting, which was attended by the ministers of Oil, Energy, Agriculture, Transport, and Urban Development, the Secretary of the Government Council, the Legal Deputy of the President, the Secretary of the Makran Coasts Development Council, and representatives of relevant executive and government agencies, a report on the comprehensive plan and the five-year development program of Makran region was presented.

Speaking at this gathering, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhbar, stated that planning for the development of the Makran region should be carried out based on the country’s upstream development documents.

“The creation of 27 cities and new coastal spots are among the most important programs of the 13th government to activate the country’s maritime-oriented economy, of which about 10 cities are located in the Makran region and can provide a suitable environment for investment by domestic and foreign companies,” Mokhber said.

Makran is a historical region in Iran that runs from mountains west of Jask to parts of Pakistan's Baluchistan province in the southwest along the Sea of Oman.

Iran has recently constructed significant nautical and commercial infrastructure in several Makran districts, particularly at Chabahar port, which serves as a vital trade route between the Indian Ocean and landlocked nations in Central Asia.

Back in June 2023, the head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced a plan to attract over $390 million of domestic investment in the Makran Coast.

Ali-Akbar Safaei said that so far, the private sector has invested more than $215 million in the mentioned region and the country’s small ports.

He also noted that good measures have been taken in the foreign investment sector, which will hopefully bear results soon.

Earlier in November 2022, President Ebrahim Raisi called for a quick development of the south and southeastern shores of Iran, namely the Makran coastline.

Raisi stated that plans for the development of the Makran coasts by the government and the private sector might assist the comparatively underdeveloped region.

EF/MA