India has reaffirmed its commitment towards a stable, strong, united and prosperous Afghanistan. Both the countries also decided to intensify their cooperation, especially in the economic sector as four pacts were signed, including one on cooperation in development of coal and mineral resources and Indian aid for implementation of small development projects in Afghanistan. Addressing a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New Delhi Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said,he had a detailed and frank discussions with Mr. Karzai, covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, as well as the challenges confronting the region. The Prime Minister also reiterated India's commitment to support Afghanistan in its development efforts. He said the development assistance commitment to Afghanistan currently stands at approximately 2 billion dollars.
Dr Singh said, India has also expanded programmes for capacity-building, institution-building and human resource development. The Prime Minister also noted that India has expanded its programmes for capacity-building, institution-building and human resource development.
The Prime Minister also pledged India's support to eliminating terrorism in that country. Prime Minister stated the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding today as launch the third phase of Small Development Projects to address the socio-economic needs of people throughout Afghanistan.
Expressing gratitude to India, Mr. Karzai said, India has been a generous and frontline supporter in the nation building and re-construction of Afghanistan. He said the purpose of his visit was to invite Indian business community to invest in Afghanistan.
Mr. Karzai, who started his visit from Mumbai on Friday, had told India Inc not to be shy when it comes to investing in his mineral-rich country and pointed out to them of the gains reaped by the Chinese who invested early in the war-ravaged country.
AIR correspondent adds that Afghanistan is believed to have mineral reserves including Copper, iron and platinum worth at least 3 trillion dollars which could generate billions of dollars in tax revenue. Last year, a consortium of Indian companies won the bid to develop Afghanistan's largest iron ore deposits.
