Posted on 08/28/2005 2:38:22 PM PDT by velocityguy
India PM in historic Afghan visit By Sanjeev Srivastiva BBC News, Kabul
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has arrived in the Afghan capital, Kabul for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening relations. Mr Singh is the first Indian prime minister to visit Afghanistan in nearly three decades.
He will use the visit to emphasise Delhi's commitment towards rebuilding Afghanistan's economy, infrastructure and democratic institutions.
The war-ravaged country is a strategically crucial ally for India.
Motives for generosity
India is Afghanistan's biggest donor in the region.
It has spent over $500m in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taleban in 2001. Much of this money has been spent in rebuilding Afghanistan's infrastructure with regular contributions in sectors like education, health care and power.
India has also helped in other areas like transportation, aviation and telecommunications.
Delhi is also involved in the training of Afghanistan's civil servants, diplomats and police officers.
It is also not without symbolism that the Indian prime minister will be laying the foundation stone for a new parliament
From India's point of view, Afghanistan has great strategic importance. It is India's gateway to central Asia - a crucial region in view of Delhi's growing energy requirements.
There is also the issue of not allowing its nuclear rival, Pakistan, to once again become influential in Kabul.
Pakistan's influence during the days of the Taleban was seen by India as a double blow.
Indian interests became the targets of the Taleban, not just in Afghanistan, but also in Indian-administered Kashmir, a charge which Islamabad has consistently denied.
Cold War style
Whatever the two south Asian rivals may say in public, it is well accepted in diplomatic circles that both Delhi and Islamabad remain engaged in some Cold War-style shadow boxing in Afghanistan.
Most analysts also say the overthrow of the Taleban regime helped India consolidate its position vis-a-vis Pakistan. It is against this backdrop that the Indian prime minister is coming here, with an aid package of about $50m.
It is also not without symbolism that the Indian prime minister will be laying the foundation stone for a new parliament building with Afghan leaders.
The leaders of the two countries will also jointly inaugurate the recently renovated building of one of the most prestigious schools in Kabul.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/4191312.stm
Published: 2005/08/28 10:33:10 GMT
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