India signed a ten-year contract to run Chabahar port in Iran. The deal follows a 2016 refurbishment agreement and will be the first time an Indian entity runs an overseas port. Chabahar will give India access to nearby Afghanistan and the Gulf of Oman and is aimed at bypassing the China-run Gwadar Port complex in Pakistan. (TIMES OF INDIA)
Jutta Urpilainen, the European commissioner for international partnerships, acknowledged the EU is struggling to keep pace with China’s ability to quickly deliver infrastructure to countries in the Global South. “It’s true that we might not be the fastest partner,” she said. (FINANCIAL TIMES)