In Afghanistan Deal, Iran's Benefit Must Be Clear

A former commercial director of the Qeshm Free Zone and senior planning and development expert, in an interview with Fararu, stresses the need for transparency in contracts. He argues that Iran should not give immediate cash concessions in regional agreements in exchange for deferred promises.

According to Arjan's ambassador, Mohsen Zanganeh, the members of the 10th parliament announced the agreement to allocate 10 hectares of land in Chabahar port and about 100 hectares in the free zone to Afghanistan and said that the country can create the infrastructure it needs for the transit of goods and access to open waters in this area. But after the reactions to these statements, he called the claim of handing over 110 hectares of Iranian soil "a lie" and emphasized that it is only an investment issue.

Ismail Beqaei, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said about this plan: "Giving land and land is not possible in any way" and explained that the discussion raised is a common model for providing landlocked countries with access to ports and open waters through renting facilities; However, according to him, this issue about Afghanistan has not been officially raised yet.

Now the question is, what are the details of this commercial cooperation, what obligations does it create for Iran, and how will the country's economic interests be guaranteed against possible concessions?

Nasser Zakari, the former commercial director of Qeshm Azad Zone and a senior planning and development expert, discussed this plan in an interview with Ferraro:

Ambiguity in contracts, the foundation of big misunderstandings

Regarding the issue of commercial cooperation with Afghanistan, he said: "Any type of agreement or contract that is concluded in the country should be explained with sufficient accuracy and detail for the public opinion. Otherwise, there will be serious misunderstandings that will be very difficult to resolve."

He stated: "The conditions become more complicated when the officials themselves fuel these misunderstandings with imprecise statements or the use of inappropriate words and phrases. It is natural for the media, analysts and people to raise questions and criticisms based on limited information and published statements. Therefore, transparency in stating the details of agreements and careful choice of words is part of the responsibility of decision makers.

We give credit points and get loan promises

Referring to the necessity of examining the economic dimensions of the cooperation plans with Afghanistan, this expert in the field of economics and commerce said: "Previously, through which route was transit of goods carried out?" What were the advantages and limitations of that method and what is the need to use another method? Before deciding on any new plan, these questions should be carefully examined to determine what benefit the change of method will bring to the country."

He added: "Unfortunately, past experiences have shown that we easily give up concessions in some contracts and agreements, but the concessions we receive in return are limited. In fact, sometimes we get credit points instead of the cash points we give; That is, our points are clear and calculable from the very beginning, but what we are going to receive in return is postponed to the future and the fulfillment of promises."

This development expert emphasized: "In the case of the cooperation plan with Afghanistan, it should be clearly defined what is Iran's benefit from its implementation. Is it going to be just a commercial presence or are we facing a long-term agreement and stable concessions? If a significant concession is to be given to the other party, it should be clear from the beginning what Iran is getting in return and how to ensure the fulfillment of the other party's commitments."

water rights experience; Why should we pay attention to the other party's promises?

The former commercial director of the Azad Qeshm region said, referring to the history of disputes between Iran and Afghanistan, "We have had experiences in our relations with Afghanistan that show that it is impossible to make decisions about new agreements without carefully examining the records and commitments of the other party." The issue of water rights and disputes in this field still remain in the public memory.

Zakari continued: "In this field, there are unresolved legal issues between the two countries, and we have not been able to achieve all the points that were expected. Business cooperation is much more complicated than it can be decided without clarifying the details and obligations of the parties. If a great privilege is to be given, we must receive proportionate and reliable privileges in return. One cannot ignore the definite benefits of today just in the hope of possible benefits in the future.

This planning and development expert stated: "We have encountered problems in some regional cooperation, which shows how important long-term policy making and accurate assessment of national interests are. For example, we may build an airport in a country, but in the end even we will not be able to land at that airport. Such experiences show the necessity of reviewing the way of designing and implementing economic and regional agreements.

What political agreement does foreign investment need?

Regarding the proper way of economic cooperation with Afghanistan, Zakari said: "Talking about handing over land to another country, even if it is meant only as a commercial mechanism, shows that we need more precision in the way we raise the issue and explain its dimensions." This type of view should be corrected so that the difference between the transfer of land and the provision of commercial facilities within the framework of the laws is clearly defined.

He stated: "Basically, it is not necessary to give a special position to a country as a unit and political identity, or to define the issue only at the level of relations between two governments. A country that wants to invest can invest in Iran through an independent company with a specific legal personality.

Referring to the geographical location of Iran, he said: "One of the advantages of our country is that it can facilitate the connection of Central Asian countries and landlocked regions with the world and international trade routes. But the main issue is what will be the specific benefit of using this capacity for Iran. Merely creating the possibility of access to ports and open waters alone does not answer this question; It should be clarified what benefits this cooperation will bring to the country's economy."

This expert added: "It is more logical for a reputable and registered company to invest in Iran in accordance with the laws governing the region in question and to cooperate with the Iranian side within the framework of internal regulations and clear legal obligations." For this, there is no need to define an exceptional mechanism or make a new political decision. If the goal is to develop foreign economic activities, these activities should proceed as much as possible based on national interests, clear laws and evaluable economic mechanisms. The free zones of the country can also provide a platform for cooperation with foreign companies within the framework of their regulations; Provided that the interests of Iran, the obligations of the other party and the guarantee of the implementation of the agreements are clearly defined from the beginning.