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"India committed to revitalizing Afghan Ecnonomy" : PM

New Delhi, November 18, 2006

Addressing the 2nd Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh expressed concern at the increasing terrorist violence in certain parts of Southern and South Eastern Afghanistan, that has not only undermined the security of Afghanistan but hindered the ongoing development effort as well.

"Afghanistan's progress from years of war and civil strife towards a functioning democracy is truly remarkable. After the Kabul Conference, based on cooperation with regional countries created significant possibilities for reducing poverty, the present Conference will be an occasion for careful and honest stock-taking, assessing how far both countries have come since then and what can be done further" said the PM.

India shares the vision of Afghanistan as a country at the crossroads of Central Asia, West Asia, China and the Indian sub-continent.Peace and Prosperity in Afghanistan are of vital interest not only to the people of Afghanistan but for the world as a whole. This Conference struggles to be able to reaffirm the international community's stake, responsibility and renewed commitment to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.

After the admission of Afghanistan to SAARC which now moves forward to developing a free trade area and other shared economic activities, Afghanistan will stand to gain considerably. Despite this achievment, Afghanistan still faces many challenges. The themes identified for the present Conference cover energy, transport, business and agriculture. These wide-ranging measures need to be taken to facilitate trade and cross-border movement of goods and services, to minimize transaction costs and to harmonise regulations and practices.

Another core area of Agriculture needs immediate attention. Rapid development in agriculture through extension activities, technological inputs and efficient water management will greatly revitalise the economy. It will also build up alternate livelihood opportunities. India has been active in providing technical and other assistance in this area and also assisting local communities with small development projects.

Human resources development, Institutional strengthening, Capacity building and Training must be stepped up in government, in other organs of democracy such as the legislature and the judiciary and in the economy. India has been contributing in this regard not only through traditional programmes of ITEC but also through innovative public private partnerships such as the "Skill Building Initiative" in cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry.

With a vision of bringing freedom, dignity and prosperity to the people of Afghanistan through a cooperative venture which unites together all countries in the region in a collaborative effort, India as a close and friendly neighbour of Afghanistan has a particular interest in the success of this process. The focus being Afghanistan, the outcome of this Conference impacts all throughout the region and decisions of the Conference are aimed at recognizing concrete issues that will provide templates for regional cooperation and help identify opportunities for the mutual benefit of all countries of our region.

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