Afghanistan far behind in environmental development: Hamid Karzai

New Delhi, Feb 3 (ANI): Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who is presently on a two-day visit to India, on Thursday said his country is still far behind in tackling issues of development vis-'-vis sustainable environment.

"I am visiting you here today from a country that has not been talking of sustainable development or development at all for the past thirty years. I am visiting you from a country that has been facing destruction, and elimination of environment, and of human capital in the past thirty years," said President Karzai, while addressing the delegates at 'Delhi Sustainable Development Summit- 2011' here.

"As I talk to you today, Afghanistan is still fire-fighting, fire-fighting destruction of its environment, fire-fighting destruction of its human capital, also at the same time working on to run fast and fast to rejoin the caravan of the world that went so much ahead of us in past thirty years," he added.

The visiting President further said: "Afghanistan in the last thirty years has seen massive destruction of environment, of trees, of rivers, of earth, of soil, of all that we depend on."

President Karzai met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh earlier in the day.

During his meeting with Dr. Singh, the two leaders held detailed discussions covering issues of bilateral and regional interest.

The Indian side reiterated its long-term commitment to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, and to the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan under President Karzai's leadership to build a strong, independent, democratic, peaceful and prosperous nation.

The two leaders agreed that the strategic partnership between India and Afghanistan is a positive factor for peace and stability in the region. (ANI)