The Hindu : National : $50-million aid offered to Afghanistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 29, 2005

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National

$50-million aid offered to Afghanistan

"Emergence of a moderate, democratic Afghanistan essential for peace and stability in the region"

KABUL: India has offered support to the war-ravaged Afghanistan to tackle terrorism and extremism, and announced a fresh $50-million assistance for its reconstruction process.

After holding talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters that the "emergence of a moderate, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan is essential for peace and stability in the region as a whole."

"Furthermore, the [joint] statement reaffirms that India is ready to work with the Government of Afghanistan towards this end." Dr. Singh said both countries had to work together to deal with terrorism, which poses a "serious threat to civilised existence."

Laying emphasis on a regional effort to fight terrorism, Mr. Karzai said, "India, Pakistan and Afghanistan need to join hands to fight this global menace."

3 agreements signed

The two leaders agreed to take the bilateral relationship to a "new stage of partnership." Three memorandums of understanding (MoU) — Cooperation in Small Development Projects, Cooperation in Health Education and Community Development, and Cooperation in Agriculture Research were signed in their presence.

Official sources said the leaders had delegation-level talks and a one-on-one meeting during which they discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as international issues.

Dr. Singh was assisted at the delegation-level talks by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, Health Secretary Prasanna Hota and Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Rakesh Sood.

Under the agreement on cooperation in the health sector, India will help Afghanistan in programmes relating to family welfare, public health and hospitals. The MoU on small development projects will cover areas such as education, healthcare and community development. The one on agricultural research and education provides for cooperation between the countries in horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences as well as exchanges of scientists.

According to officials in the Prime Minister's Office, Dr. Singh was keen on helping to accelerate the pace of reconstruction and economic development in Afghanistan. "

He believes that if our neighbours do well in economic terms, it would stabilise their societies and the entire region," they explained.

Much of India's assistance to Afghanistan so far was in the infrastructure sector, but there was a feeling that the time had come to shift some of the focus to community development projects that would bring benefits to the grassroots levels. — PTI, UNI

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