World | India
India announces $450 million aid to Afghanistan
India on Monday announced $450 million in development aid to neighbouring Afghanistan, and both countries vowed to fight terrorism.
- Agencies
- Published: 15:03 August 4, 2008
New Delhi: India on Monday announced $450 million in development aid to neighbouring Afghanistan, and both countries vowed to fight terrorism.
Afghanistan, India and the United States have accused Pakistan's spy agency of being involved an attack at the Indian embassy in Kabul that killed 58 people.
"It was an attack on the friendship of India and Afghanistan," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said shortly after meeting visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"We have agreed that we will not allow terrorism to stand in our way, we will fight it unitedly and with full determination," Singh said.
Analysts say that Pakistan is worried about India's rising influence in Afghanistan, the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars of Indian development aid in recent years.
"We will allocate an additional amount of $450 million over the $750 million announced so far to effectively meet the requirement of our ongoing and forthcoming projects," Singh added.
India is now involved in training Afghanistan's police and diplomats, building roads and hospitals, and supporting trade and services.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
Reader helps police to bust brothel
More than 20 gang members recently arrested from running brothels in Dubai
-
Philippine areas under emergency rule
Toll rises to 46 in brutal kidnap and murder in the south
-
Obama seeks to reassure Singh on ties
Singh is on elaborate state visit that will include talks on US ties with Pakistan
