Pranab to invite Afghanistan for SAARC summit

Kabul, Jan 22: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, whoarrives here today on a first high-level visit to Afghanistan in over ayear, will deliver a invitation to the SAARC summit to be held in Indiain April and is expected to call on President Hamid Karzai and holdtalks with his counterpart Dadfar Spanta.

The last high-level visit was in November 2005 by then External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh.

Afghanistan became a SAARC member last year at the behest of India.

Mr Mukherjee will also meet with the speaker of the Wolesi Jirga,Mr Younus Qanooni, and the international relations committee of theLower House.

Mr Mukherjee's visit comes at an important juncture both inAfghanistan's political developments as well as Indo-Afghan relations.The crisis related to the Taliban-fuelled insurgency has reached acritical phase with calls for greater pressure on Pakistan.

Cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been identifiedas one of the key pillars of a successful strategy to combat theinsurgency. The Indian government shares Afghanistan's concerns and itis likely that the issue will come up during discussions.

With the steady increase in aid over the past five years thatcovers a wide range of developmental needs from infrastructureconstruction and development to capacity building in human resources,India has emerged as one of the most consistent donors in thereconstruction process in Afghanistan.

India's close relationship with Afghanistan is a matter of concernto Pakistan and its President Pervez Musharraf raised the issue duringhis visit to Afghanistan last year.

Afghanistan has always stressed the need to tread carefullybetween the two countries, emphasising that while relations with Indiaare historic, Pakistan is an immediate neighbour.

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