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| Allow transit to Afghanistan, India asks Pak | | | KABUL, JAN 23
India today asked Pakistan to allow land-based transit facility to Afghanistan as it announced a USD 100-million additional aid and other initiatives for the assistance of the war-ravaged country.
After his talks with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India remained committed to helping Afghanistan in reconstruction and development and hoped that the people of this country will overcome the challenges faced by them.
Addressing a joint press conference with Spanta, Mukherjee said allowing of transit facility by Pakistan was essential for connecting Central Asia with Asia.
Mukherjee said during his recent visit to Islamabad he had stressed that Pakistan should provide transit facility to Afghanistan through land.
Spanta hoped that in the long run Pakistan, Afghanistan and India will overcome the problem of "disconnect" and connectivity will be re-established.
Underlining that India's policy was to improve relations with all its neighbours, he stressed the need for India and Pakistan coming together so that peace and stability could be provided to the region.
Mukherjee, who arrived here today to invite President Hamid Karzai to the SAARC Summit to be held in April, announced an increase in aid by USD 100 million from the current level of USD 650 million.
Mukherjee also announced the launch of small social projects which will cost USD one million.
A trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between India, Afghanistan and United Nations Development Project (UNDP) in the field of capacity building.
Under the MoU, India will provide USD 1.08 billion with UNDP providing an equal amount.
Afghanistan was included in SAARC as its eighth member at the Dhaka Summit in December 2005 and it will be attending the upcoming meet for the first time.
After the Taliban was rooted out from Afghanistan in 2002, India has been assisting the country in reconstruction.
Afghanistan's emergence as a democratic nation is also being helped by India which is constructing the Parliament building here in this connection.
During the talks with Afghan leaders, Mukherjee will try to assess how New Delhi can help energise democratic forces in Afghanistan. |
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