AFGHAN INKS DEAL WITH IRAN FOR ACCESS TO SEAPORT

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHAN_IRAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-09-05-08-56-23

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The Afghan government has signed an agreement with Iran that gives land-locked Afghanistan access to a key seaport in the neighboring country.

Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasool and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi inked the deal in Kabul on Wednesday.

Rasool told reporters that the agreement guarantees Afghanistan access to the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Indian Ocean. Iran has been working to develop Chabahar as a regional economic hub.

Rasool said that the deal will boost regional cooperation and reduce Afghanistan's dependence on other regional seaports. Much of Afghanistan's goods transit through Pakistan, its neighbor to the east.