India Review A PUBLICATION OF THE EMBASSY OF INDIA, KABUL VOLUME 2 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2006

Highlights of the NEWNEW DELHIDELHI HOSTSHOSTS Delhi Declaration ■ Noted that regional coop- eration creates possibilities 2ND2ND RECCRECC ONON for reducing poverty and achieving the Compact benchmarks. AFGHANISTANAFGHANISTAN ■ Noted that possibilities to trade electricity and acceler- ating construction of trans- mission infrastructure have the potential for mutual ben- efit to several countries. ■ Afghanistan’s potential gas, oil and coal natural reserves will be considered for development with private sector participation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President at the inauguration of the 2nd Regional Economic Cooperation ■ Countries will work Conference (RECC) in New Delhi on November 18. Also seen in the photo are Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee, towards collaborative right, and Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, right. regional management of ndia has said it is commit- bours in the country’s socio-eco- Underlining the “tremendous common resources, espe- ted to a “stable and pros- nomic reconstruction. fund of goodwill” between the cially in border areas. perous Afghanistan” and A ‘Delhi Declaration was people of India and Afghanistan, ■ The proposed has called for accelerated issued at the end of the confer- Singh said India, being a close Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- regional economic cooper- ence (See box for highlights). and friendly neighbour, has “par- Pakistan-India gas pipeline ationI to reconstruct the violence- “Through increased regional ticular interest in the success of has the potential for new hit country. cooperation, we will be able to this conference” in outlining “the opportunities for regional “Peace and security of reinforce the international com- template of regional coopera- energy cooperation. Afghanistan is essential for the munity’s stake in the develop- tion” to rebuild Afghanistan. ■ Countries will seek to stability and prosperity of not ment and reconstruction of Describing the 2nd RECC –– bring together their regula- only Afghanistan but also for the Afghanistan,” Singh said. India the first was held in Kabul last tory systems and procedures entire region and the world,” has pledged $650 million for the year –– as “a landmark event” for so that the barriers to cross Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reconstruction of Afghanistan. both the people of Afghanistan border movements of goods said in New Delhi on the opening and the region, President Karzai and services are progressive- day of the 2nd Regional RECC Agenda said “a stable, democratic and ly reduced. ■ Economic Cooperation Confere- ■ prosperous Afghanistan could To enhance regional Heads of Delegations dis- trade, countries will work nce (RECC) on Afghanistan. cussed strengthening of regional make an important contribution together to establish effi- Prime Minister Singh and cooperation mechanisms and to the prosperity of the entire Afghan President Hamid Karzai capacities. region”. cient and transparent trade jointly inaugurated the two-day ■ Recommendations of the Karzai also underlined the practices. ■ conference that was attended by Technical Working Group on need for a “collective” fight Decided to undertake representatives from Turkey, Iran, Electricity Trade and Energy against terrorism and extremism stronger credibility and con- Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmen- Development were tabled. that afflicts not only his country fidence building measures istan, Pakistan, China, the U.A.E, ■ Considered recommendations but other regions as well. (CCBMs), vital for sustained Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Canada, of the Technical Working Group Both Singh and Karzai also and interactive regional co- France, , Italy, Japan, on on Trade Facilitation and underlined the threat that the ris- operation. Russia, the U.S., Britain, Finland, Transport. ing level of violence in Afgha- ■ Regional countries will the European Commission, the ■ Recommendations of the nistan, engineered by the hard- intensify efforts to remove Council of Europe, the Technical Working Group on line militia , poses to the obstacles to overland trade International Monetary Fund, the Investment, Business Potential stability of not only Kabul but to and transit between coun- World Bank and the U.N. and Trade studied. the entire region. tries and regions. ■ The 2nd RECC was aimed at Recommendations of the “Dealing with this challenge is ■ Regional countries will identifying key projects for revi- Technical Working Group on a collective responsibility,” Man- work towards aviation liber- talising Afghanistan’s war-hit Agriculture and Agro Industry mohan Singh stressed. alisation for greater regional Development considered. economy and involving its neigh- Continued on page 2 connectivity.