Review A PUBLICATION OF THE EMBASSY OF INDIA, KABUL VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 2007

EAM’s Opening EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER Statement at the joint PRANAB VISITS KABUL press conference Foreign Minister addressed a joint press conference in Kabul along with Afghan Foreign Minister on January 23. Following are excerpts from the text of his statement. y visit to Kabul is in the M context of the 14th SAARC Summit to be held in New on 3-4 April, 2007. However, it has also given me an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations with leaders here. We are extremely happy External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee with President in Kabul. He handed over the formal invitation to that it will be our privilege to President Karzai on behalf of Prime Minister to attend the SAARC Summit. welcome Afghanistan in New t the invitation of that the regional character and Ustaad Rasool Sayyaf, Chairman, Delhi when it joins as a Afghan Foreign composition of SAARC is incom- and members of the Foreign member of SAARC in the Minister Dr. plete without Afghanistan. Relations Committee of Wolesi first-ever expansion of this Spanta, Indian During his two-day stay in Jirga. Minister Mukherjee wel- Association. External Affairs Kabul, Minister Mukherjee had a comed the suggestion made by Later today, I will be calling MinisterA Pranab Mukherjee visit- hectic schedule. Soon after his the Committee to set up an on President Karzai to convey ed Kabul on January 23-24, with arrival, he called on Speaker of Indo-Afghan Parliamentary the invitation of PM Man- a five-member delegation that Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Friendship Group. mohan Singh to the SAARC included Foreign Secretary Afghan Parliament) Mohammad At the delegation-level talks Summit. I have also invited . Minister Yunus Qanooni. Lauding India’s with Afghan Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Dr. Spanta Mukherjee came to Kabul to Dr. Spanta, Minister to participate in the 28th invite Afghanistan to attend President Karzai appreciated Mukherjee extended an meeting of the SAARC the 14th South Asian invitation to Dr. Spanta to Council of Ministers in New Association for Regional the time-ttested friendly ties attend the 28th SAARC Delhi on 2 April 2007 as a Cooperation (SAARC) and enduring cordial Council of Ministers Special Invitee. Summit in New Delhi. Meeting as “Special Earlier today, I called on India, the current chair- relations with India. He also Invitee”. the President of Wolesi Jirga, man of SAARC, is hosting thanked the Government of During the official talks, His Excellency Mohammad the Summit on April 3 and Minister Mukherjee and Yunus Qanooni. I also met 4. Afghanistan formally India and its people for the Foreign Minister Dr. Chairman of the Committee becomes a SAARC member assistance in rebuilding Spanta took stock of the of Foreign Relations of when President Karzai signs bilateral relations and Wolesi Jirga Ustaad Rasool the Joint Declaration with Afghanistan. exchanged views on the Sayyaf and discussed India- other Heads of Government regional situation. Afghanistan relations with and State at the New Delhi traditional cordial relations with Later, the two Foreign members of the Committee. Summit. Afghanistan, Qanooni highlight- Ministers witnessed the signing We have just concluded India has been a strong advo- ed the Indian assistance to build of an MOU among India, detailed talks with Dr. Spanta cate and supporter of the new Parliament Complex at Afghanistan and UNDP on and his delegation on SAARC Afghanistan’s membership in Darul Aman, Kabul. Minister Capacity Building in Public and on the entire gamut of SAARC, taking the lead at the Mukherjee extended an invita- Administration. India is provid- bilateral relations. We also Dhaka Summit in November tion on behalf of ing an amount of $1.08 million exchanged views on the 2005, where the formal decision Speaker to Qanooni to visit India with a matching contribution regional situation. on admitting Afghanistan into with a Parliamentary delegation. from UNDP. Continued on page 2 SAARC was taken. India believes Thereafter, he interacted with Continued on page 2