New Delhi: Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani will come on a daylong working visit to India on Tuesday at the invitation of the Prime Minister. The invitation on behalf of Prime Minister Modi for President Ghani to visit India was extended by the National Security Adviser of India when the latter visited Kabul on 16 October.
During his visit, President Ghani will meet with President Ram Nath Kovind and will have delegation level talks with the Prime Minister, who will also host lunch in the honor of President Ghani. External Affairs Minister will call on the visiting dignitary. President Ghani will also give a public address at Vivekanand International Foundation, the ministry said in a statement.
“The visit will build upon the recent high level bilateral exchanges between the two countries, including the recent visits of H.E. Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of Afghanistan on September 27-29 and that of the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mr Salahuddin Rabbani on September 10-11 to India for the meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Council which was co-chaired by EAM,” the external affairs ministry announced on Monday.
Both sides will have the opportunity to review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership, including the New Development Partnership; hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and efforts to combat the menace of terrorism; and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.
India has worked with Afghanistan to identify priorities and projects where Kabul needed New Delhi’s assistance to be directed.
Weeks after US President Donald Trump sought New Delhi’s help in the economic development of the war-torn nation, India announced taking up 116 “high impact community developmental projects” in 31 provinces of Afghanistan.
A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
These important investments will be in the areas of education, health, agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, renewable energy, flood control, micro-hydro power, sports and administrative infrastructure, according to the external affairs ministry.
Some of the key projects are Shahtoot Dam and drinking water project for Kabul that would also facilitate irrigation, water supply for Charikar city, road connectivity to Band-e-Amir in Bamyan province that would promote tourism, low cost housing for returning Afghan refugees in Nangarhar province to promote their resettlement, a gypsum board manufacturing plant in Kabul to promote value-added local industry and for import substitution, and a polyclinic in Mazar-e-Sharif.
