Pranab to deliver invitation to Afghanistan for SAARC summit

Kabul, Jan 22 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who arrives here today on a first high-level visit to Afghanistan in over a year, will deliver a invitation to the SAARC summit to be held in India in April and is expected to call on President Hamid Karzai and hold talks 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 the Lower House.

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

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

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

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

Afghanistan has always stressed the need to tread carefully between the two countries, emphasising that while relations with India are historic, Pakistan is an immediate neighbour.

UNI