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India And Afghanistan Sign Security And Trade Pact
India signed a significant partnership pact with Afghanistan on Tuesday, agreeing to step up cooperation in counterterrorism operations, training of security forces and trade in a move that has the potential to antagonize Pakistan at a critical juncture in the Afghanistan war.The agreement, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed at the start of a two-day visit to India, also includes measures to boost political and cultural engagement. In addition, India pledged its help in stabilizing Afghanistan as the country battles rising extremist violence and prepares for the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops in 2014. The pact coincides with a souring of relations between Kabul and Islamabad since Afghan officials bluntly accused Pakistan of supporting recent high-profile attacks in their country. The agreement with Pakistans arch-rival in the midst of those recriminations has the potential to further strain relations. Our cooperation with Afghanistan is an open book. We have civilizational links, and we are both here to stay, Singh said in his statement, adding that the agreement creates an institutional framework for future ties. India will stand by the people of Afghanistan as they prepare to assume the responsibility for their governance and security after the withdrawal of international forces in 2014. Karzai, who is making his second visit to the Indian capital this year, said Afghanistan appreciated New Delhis understanding of its difficulties and added that he was grateful for Indias help. The strategic agreement is the first such partnership Kabul has entered into with any country. This does not mean that India is going to rush its troops to Afghanistan or ship military equipment, said Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian diplomat. It just means that India has entered the sphere so far denied to it. For many years, Western nations wanted India to stay away from Afghanistan because they did not want to upset Pakistan. But that has changed in the last year, since President Barack Obama visited India. They are now openly suggesting that India should be more active. With todays agreement, India is saying that it will be a guarantor of Afghanistans stability after 2014. Karzai and Singh also announced commercial ties in mining, mineral exploration and development of hydrocarbons, including oil and natural gas, and Singh said he will work to improve Afghanistans economic integration with India and with South Asia as a whole. Last year, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a transit-trade agreement that would allow agricultural products from Afghanistan to cross Pakistan into India. But the agreement has yet to yield major changes in trade patterns across the region. Posted by: Sherry 2011-10-05 |
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