The Hindu : India playing 'strategic role' in Afghan affairs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 23, 2002

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National

India playing 'strategic role' in Afghan affairs

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Dec. 22. India's persistence in Afghanistan is finally bearing fruit. New Delhi, which has made Afghanistan a major concern in the post-September 11 scenario, is finally being recognised as a player in the Afghan affairs.

In Kabul today, India was present as an "observer'' when Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and China issued a declaration on good-neighbourly relations vis-à-vis Pakistan.

Interestingly, India shared this "observer'' status with G-8 countries and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) nations in Kabul today. The Hamid Karzai Government had invited the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, to attend the Kabul meeting, but India was represented by its Ambassador, Vivek Katju. While Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan had their Foreign Ministers in attendance, Iran, Uzbekistan and China had representation at different levels. Like India, other "observers'' had ambassadors representing their countries.

In a letter to the Afghan Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah, the External Affairs Minister said India was fully supportive of the initiative launched in Kabul today. New Delhi, Mr. Sinha wrote, wanted Afghanistan to have good relations with all its neighbours. There should be no interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

After the signing ceremony was over in Kabul, "observers'' were given a chance to express their views and Mr. Vivek Katju had echoed the sentiments conveyed by Mr. Sinha in his letter to his Afghan counterpart. Keeping up its interest in Afghanistan, India today delivered the second Airbus A-300 aircraft to the Karzai Government.

The aircraft was handed over at a ceremony this morning to the Afghan Civil Aviation Minister. According to sources, both the Airbus aircraft donated by India to Afghanistan would be used for Haj operations this year. India has decided to gift another 100 buses to Afghanistan, which would be delivered in batches of 25, the sources said. India was continuing to build up relations with the friendly Hamid Karzai Government. This was exemplified by the gift of aircraft, buses and the biscuits donated for Afghan school children through the World Food Programme (WFP).

The opening of new consulates, the constant visits by Afghan Ministers all go to show that India means business in Afghanistan.

Given the fact that Pakistan considered Afghanistan as its backyard while the Taliban-Osama clique were in power, and India had little strategic leverage in that country, the situation today reads very differently.

At a time when the Pakistani establishment is trying to do all it can to export terrorism, India acquiring "player status'' in Afghanistan is being noted all over.

Also, while coordinating with the U.S. in Afghanistan, India maintains cooperation with its traditional allies in Afghanistan — Russia and Iran.

Given the assistance extended to Ahmad Shah Masood by India, Russia and Iran, the continuing dialogue and cooperation among these three countries continues to have strategic importance.

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