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Statement to the media by PM during visit of
President Karzai
October 04, 2011
His Excellency Mr. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan, Distinguished members of the media I am delighted to welcome
His Excellency the President of Afghanistan, Mr. Hamid Karzai to India.
President Karzai’s visit takes place soon after my own visit to Afghanistan in
May. This reflects the tradition of regular high level exchanges that so
happily exists between our two countries. My discussions today with President
Karzai have once again underlined the importance of a strong and broad based
partnership between India and Afghanistan. Our cooperation with Afghanistan is
an open book. We have civilizational links, and we are both here to stay. We
have to live and work together in times both good and bad.
Based on
intensive consultations and deliberations, we have finalized an Agreement on a
Strategic Partnership between India and Afghanistan which the President and I
have signed today. The Agreement creates an institutional framework for our
future cooperation in the fields of political and security cooperation, trade
and economic cooperation, capacity building and education, and social,
cultural, civil society and people-to-people relations. We have also concluded
two Memoranda of Understanding for cooperation in Mining and Hydrocarbons.
These wilI add a new dimension to our economic relations.
We both agree that Afghanistan’s economic integration with the
Indian economy and South Asia as a whole is in the national interest of the
people of Afghanistan, and one of the ways to achieve this is to promote closer
trade, investment and transit links. I reiterated to the President that India
stands by the people of Afghanistan in their journey towards capacity building,
reconstruction, development and peace. We will do all that is within our means
to help Afghanistan. We had detailed and frank discussions on the issue of
terrorism. This threatens our entire region, and no country can remain immune
to its lethal effects.
I conveyed our sympathy and condolences to the Government and people
of Afghanistan on the acts of terrorism that have taken place in Afghanistan
recently, particularly the tragic assassination of Professor Burhanuddin
Rabbani. Professor Rabbani was our guest in India in July and we were greatly
encouraged by his vision. His brutal assassination should serve as an occasion
for all of us to strengthen our resolve to jointly confront the menace of
terrorism that threatens to undermine the security and stability of our region.
The people of Afghanistan have suffered enough. They deserve to live
in peace and decide their future themselves, without outside interference,
coercion and intimidation. It is in this context that India will participate in
the forthcoming conferences in Istanbul and Bonn to contribute to international
and regional initiatives to support Afghanistan’s efforts at nation building.
The greatest need today is for the Afghan people to have peace and stability.
All countries of the region must work to facilitate this.
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. I pay tribute to the sagacious
leadership of President Karzai in seeking solutions that are inclusive and led
by the Afghan people themselves. He has shown great courage in very difficult
circumstances. I look forward to working with President Karzai and his
Government in the period ahead to further advance our relations across a wide
spectrum. [PIB Press Release].
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