KABUL, 29 August 2005 — India yesterday raised its strategic and economic stakes in a “stable and democratic” Afghanistan by adding another $50 million to the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country and by forging a united front to combat the Taleban in the region.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day historic visit to a red carpet welcome, held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace and discussed expanding bilateral cooperation straddling diverse areas including development, defense, education, energy and trade.
The two leaders agreed to develop “a new partnership for the 21st century” (as described in the joint statement) that will include fighting terrorism together and pooling together resources and ideas to promote greater economic and cultural integration of South Asia.
This was the first visit by an Indian head of government here in nearly three decades. Indira Gandhi was the last Indian prime minister to visit Kabul in 1976.
Manmohan is accompanied by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and other senior officials.
In his discussions with Karzai, Manmohan Singh expressed support for the creation of “a sovereign, stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan” and stressed on the necessity of tackling terrorism, especially of the fundamentalist Taleban variety, in the region.
“There exists a cross-political consensus in India to strengthen relations with Afghanistan and to bolster democracy in the region,” Manmohan Singh told Karzai.
“We have discussed the threat posed by terrorism in both India and Afghanistan. There is a convergence of interests between the two countries on fighting this scourge,” Manmohan Singh told reporters at a joint press conference with Karzai.
“We see the continuation of terrorist activities directed against the Afghan people. India and Afghanistan will jointly fight to eliminate this menace from the region and the world,” said Karzai, referring to the recent regrouping of Taleban that is seen to have drawn New Delhi and Kabul in a pact with greater urgency.
“The two leaders reiterated their commitment to work together to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorism and extremism,” said a joint statement.
Manmohan announced an additional $50 million assistance to the over $500 million it has already pledged to the rebuilding of the country. The fresh assistance will be harnessed for small development projects that will benefit people at grassroots level. This has taken India’s assistance of $500 million to a new level.
India and Afghanistan signed three agreements in the field of small developmental projects, health care and medicinal service and agricultural research and education.
Both countries agreed to expand their capacity in building democratic institutions, infrastructure and human capacity, said the joint statement.
Manmohan Singh also announced the adoption of 100 villages in Afghanistan to promote integrated rural development and a gift of 1,000 sewing machines to the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
Taking bilateral cooperation in the sphere of education to a new height, Manmohan Singh inaugurated a renovated Habibia School, restored with India’s help, and announced the grant of 1,000 scholarships for Afghan students.
He laid the foundation stone of the new chancery complex later in the evening. The new chancery complex will house a library, a multipurpose hall for exhibitions and cultural performances. Manmohan also met the octogenarian former king Zahir Shah, popularly known as Baba-i-Millat (father of the nation) and discussed civilizational and historical links between the two countries.
Karzai shared his vision of “restoring Afghanistan’s historic role as a land bridge between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent,” and thanked India for its continuing commitment to the reconstruction of the country.
Manmohan will attend the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the new Afghan Parliament building this morning.
Zahir Shah has evocatively described the new Parliament building, being built with India’s help, as “magnificently meaningful to us as the Taj is for India.”
