World | Afghanistan

Despite mission blast, aid for Kabul is on its way

Undeterred by the July 7 attack on its mission in Kabul, India announced fresh assistance of $450 million (Dh1.65 billion) for the reconstruction of violence-torn Afghanistan as the two countries vowed to fight the menace of terrorism jointly.

  • IANS
  • Published: 23:25 August 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai (right) arrives at the presidential palace in New Delhi on Monday.
  • Image Credit: AP

New Delhi: Undeterred by the July 7 attack on its mission in Kabul, India announced fresh assistance of $450 million (Dh1.65 billion) for the reconstruction of violence-torn Afghanistan as the two countries vowed to fight the menace of terrorism jointly.

"It was an attack on the friendship between India and Afghanistan. We will fight it unitedly and with determination," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after holding wide-ranging talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here.

"India has an abiding commitment to Afghanistan's efforts to build a democratic, stable, prosperous and pluralistic polity. We will fulfil all our commitments to Afghanistan," Manmohan Singh said while announcing the additional development aid of $450 million for rebuilding the violence-ravaged country.

Total contribution

The fresh aid has taken India's total contribution to Afghanistan's reconstruction to $1.2 billion (Dh4.4 billion), making New Delhi one of the largest donors to that country.

Calling for a joint fight against the menace of terrorism, Karzai thanked India and the Indian people profusely for this assistance at "a very critical juncture in the history of Afghanistan. India has proved to be a valuable ally and is in the forefront of rebuilding Afghanistan," Karzai said while alluding to a wide range of activities ranging from building roads and schools to constructing dams, power transmission lines and the parliament building in which nearly 3,000 Indian workers are involved in his country.

The two leaders also reviewed the security of the Indian mission in Kabul and its four consulates in Herat, Kandhahar, Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif and agreed to upgrade their security in view of the threat perception from a resurgent Taliban.

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