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Afghanistan backs greater role for India in peace push

Afghanistan backs greater role for India in peace push

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31 Mar 2021 - 13:16
Afghanistan backs greater role for India in peace push
author avatar
31 Mar 2021 - 13:16

KABUL (Pajhwok):  Afghanistan has hailed India as a strategic partner and the largest regional contributor to the war-battered country’s development.

Afghanistan’s new ambassador to India said in an interview that New Delhi was important not only for government in Kabul, but also for the Afghan people.

“My assignment here will be strengthening those ties, focusing on security cooperation,” Farid Mamundzay told WION.

The two nations were enjoying cooperation in areas of economic partnership, trade, transit and cultural exchanges, he said.

The diplomat acknowledged Afghanistan had been receiving generous education support from India over the years. He would try to enhance cooperation in these areas and engagement in other fields.

He recalled Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar’s recent three-day state visit to New Deli, where he met his counterpart Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and other senior officials.

Mamundzay characterised India as an important regional power and a strategic partner for Afghanistan, “We want India’s involvement at almost every peace forum, including the Troika and the upcoming UN-facilitated Istanbul Summit.

India had always adopted a principled approach in support of the Afghan people, democratic values, human rights, democratic gains, women’s and minority rights.

He said all Afghans were appreciative of Indian-funded development projects like the Delaram-Zaranj, road, Shahtoot dam, Afghan

“If you look at the Indian universities in India, we have more than 60,000 graduates, more than 20,000 studying presently. Nowhere in the world, we have so many Afghan students,” he said.

India was helping the Afghans in state-building, not only, by implementing development projects and providing them Covid-19 vaccine, but also by educating Afghan youth and investing in their future.

Despite the Doha pact between Taliban and the US, the level of violence in Afghanistan had not fallen, the ambassador regretted.

The Afghan leadership had been asking international partners like India to help protect the gains Afghanistan had achieved over the past two decades

“Our strong partners like India need to be considered. We welcome support from international partners and regional countries. We want peace that brings lasting stability to Afghanistan and prosperity to the region.”

However, he opposed any process that could push Afghanistan into chaos and further misery.

About the Heart of Asia conference in Dushanbe, the envoy said, “It provides us an opportunity to raise the voice of the Afghan people, the Afghan republic, and present the gains of the last 20 years to our regional partners”.

PAN Monitor/mud

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