Sunday, April 15, 2018
Kabul (BNA) Defense minister Tariq Shah Bahrami held talks with India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday on Afghanistan’s internal reconciliation process and efforts to combat cross border terrorism, a media report said.
The India media quoted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as saying that Bahrami shared his assessment of Afghan government’s recent initiatives for internal reconciliation and efforts to combat terrorism with Swaraj in New Delhi.
The Afghan defense minister also “highlighted” that the Afghan people and the government would like India to continue to play a “greater role” in the country. He also talked about efforts being made by Kabul to combat the menace of opium cultivation and drugs trafficking that funds terror against the people of Afghanistan, the ministry said in a statement.
“Afghanistan deeply appreciated the positive and constructive support extended by India for economic development and reconstruction in Afghanistan and to the Afghan National Defense and Security forces,” the ministry said.
Swaraj appreciated the courage with which the Afghan forces were defending their country and making supreme sacrifices.
“She conveyed India’s support for the efforts of the government and the people of Afghanistan for building a peaceful, secure, stable, united, inclusive and prosperous national. India remains committed to its New Development Partnership according to the priorities of Afghanistan,” the MEA said.
India last year had announced that it would implement 116 development projects in Afghanistan under the ‘New Development Partnership’.
The Afghan minister is visiting India for the Defense EXPO 2018 which is underway near Chennai. He had earlier met Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
