Afghanistan on Monday assured India of its commitment to provide full security to Indians working there and New Delhi conveyed readiness to augment its assistance to Kabul for capacity building and strengthening public institutions.
“We discussed the issue of terrorism, which threatens our region. President Karzai assured me that the government of Afghanistan will take all possible measures for the security of Indians in Afghanistan,'' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after the bilateral meeting.
He said both leaders, who met for the first time after the February 26 attacks in Kabul, viewed the incident as the handiwork of those who did not wish to see the emergence of a strong, independent and pluralistic Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister told Mr. Karzai that perpetrators of such attacks would not succeed in undermining India's commitment to assist the Afghan people. India also said it was ready to augment its assistance for capacity building and for skills and human resource development to help strengthen public institutions in Afghanistan.
In a joint statement, both countries expressed grave concern over the threat posed by terrorism to Afghanistan's national development efforts and expressed their determination to work with the international community to combat the forces of terrorism which posed a threat to the region.
Both leaders discussed bilateral and regional issues, with Dr. Singh stating that India desired to see a strong, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace. “India remained committed to assisting Afghanistan in its development efforts in accordance with the wishes and priorities of the people of Afghanistan,'' the statement said.
India's development partnership is focussed on areas of infrastructure development, human resource development and capacity building, food assistance and small development projects that bring immediate benefits to the people at the grass roots.
The two leaders, in particular, took note of the Zaranj-Delaram road project, the Pul-e-Kumri to Kabul transmission line project and scholarship programmes which had brought direct benefits to the Afghan people. They welcomed the progress being made in the construction of the building for the Afghan Parliament.
