India to fund 108 development projects in Afghanistan

KABUL under an agreement signed in Kabul Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah said “countries that claim friendship with Afghanistan should show their friendship in action.”

The agreement was signed between the Indian Embassy and officials from the Afghan ministries of water and energy, agriculture, border and tribal affairs, public works, labor and social affairs, information and culture, and Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), Milli National Radio and Television, and the Afghan Cricket Board.

The projects costing $31 million are aimed at economic development, reducing poverty and creating jobs in remote areas of the country.

They would be implemented in 31 provinces in coordination with the Indian Ministry of Economy and financial support of that country.

Abdullah said the schemes had been planned in line with the requirements of people and would have direct impact on their lives.

He acknowledged projects’ budgets were rejected in the past due to weak implementation, saying future projects would be monitored for on-time implementation and administrative programs would be also accelerated.

Talking to ministers, Abdullah said even a smallest delay in projects implementation was not acceptable because Afghans needed the required development.

He thanked India for its assistance to Afghanistan and said India’s support for development projects showed strong relations and friendship between the two countries.

About destructive plans of some neighborinbg countries for Afghanistan, he said shelling rockets, carrying out suicide attacks and destabilizing Afghanistan would not benefit anyone and such moves would further hurt the hearts of Afghans.

“The United States, the European Union, Japan and India are major donors of Afghanistan, but we do not expect the same from all countries,” CEO added.

“It is our expectation from all to stop their policies and movements that can destabilize Afghanistan,” he said.

He said Afghanistan had given the hand of friendship to all and countries who wanted friendship with Afghanistan should prove it in practice.

New Delhi always wanted a stable, developed and a democratic system in Afghanistan, Abdullah said.

Manpreet Vohra, Indian envoy to Kabul, said: “Afghanistan is a trustful and strategic friend of India and New Delhi is committed to bringing stability, reconstruction and economic development to this country.”

About small development projects implemented last year, he said that most of the projects of current solar year (1396) were completed and put into service for the Afghan people.

Mustafa Mastor, economy minister, said that the projects were aimed at economic development, poverty alleviation and creating job opportunities for deprived segments of the society in remote areas of Afghanistan.

He said 115 projects were implemented last solar year which were equal to the projects implemented over the last several years.

Mohammad Almas Zahid, president’s special advisor, and a number of parliament members were also present during the contracts signing ceremony.

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