THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)
(a)-(b) External Affairs Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee visited Kabul on January 23-24,
2007 to invite President Karzai to the 14th SAARC Summit to be held in New Delhi on
April 3-4, 2007. During the visit, EAM called on President Hamid Karzai, Speaker
of the Wolesi Jirga Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee
on Foreign Relations of the Wolesi Jirga Ustad Rasool Sayyaf and Foreign Minister
Rangin Dadfar Spanta. In his interactions with the Afghan leaders, the entire gamut
of bilateral relations was discussed. An MoU on Co-operation in the Field of Development
in Public Administration was also signed with UNDP and Afghan Government. EAM also
handed over the Polyclinic Block of Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health (IGICH),
built with Indian assistance. He also unveiled a plaque naming a street adjacent to
Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health Care (IGICH) as `Indira Gandhi Road`.
(c)- (e) Issues like terrorism and security of Indians also came up for discussions.
Both the sides agreed on the need to eradicate terrorism. Government of India are
taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of Indian workers in Afghanistan.
The Indian Mission/Posts in Afghanistan issue regular security advisories and updates
for the benefit of Indians working in Afghanistan. Indian workers are urged to
register themselves with the Indian Embassy or any of the Consulates. They have been
instructed to take adequate security measures and inform their employers and the
Embassy/Posts in case they perceive any security threat. Government of India is in
constant touch with the Government of Afghanistan, at various levels. Government of
Afghanistan has assured that it will take all the steps necessary to provide security
to Indians in Afghanistan.
(f) As part of India`s long-term commitment to the stability, progress and peace in
Afghanistan, during the visit of EAM, India announced an additional pledge of US $100
million. With this additional pledge, India`s total assistance pledge for the
reconstruction of Afghanistan becomes US $750 million.
(g) - (h) The Indian assistance to Afghanistan during the financial year was Rs.272.25
crores and for the financial year 2005-06, it amounted to Rs. 383 crores. India`s
assistance has mainly been in the sectors that have been identified by the Afghan
Government as priority areas of development. They are construction, agriculture,
industry, telecommunications, information & broadcasting, power, urban development,
technical assistance, education and health.
