INDIA-AFGHANISTAN A HISTORIC AND TIME TESTED FRIENDSHIP India and Afghanistan have a strong relationship based on historical and cultural links. India has been, and continues to be, a steadfast partner in the reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan. The principal focus of India’s development assistance has been to build capacities and capabilities of Afghan nationals and its institutions for governance and delivery of public service, develop socio-economic infrastructure, secure lives and promote livelihood. India and Afghanistan have also agreed to identify products and measures to enhance bilateral trade; reaffirming the importance of connectivity and free and unfettered transport and transit access for Afghanistan. India’s support is guided by the needs and priorities of the Government and the people of Afghanistan; activities are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government; and projects are spread across Afghanistan in wide range of areas. Both sides are on the pathway of an ambitious and forward looking next generation ‘New Development Partnership’. In September 2017, India hosted the India-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Show in New Delhi. A high “A billion of ties bind us through thousands of years of history but level of participation from the Indian corporate sector our partnership is based on vision of the future. A vision where our resulted in business propositions being signed central challenge is poverty and inequality and insecurity, not at between the respective private enterprises of the the sub-national level but at the regional level.” countries worth more than US$200 million. — President Ashraf Ghani country, greater access to Project involves construction of markets in India, and will allow two terminals, one multi-purpose Afghan businessmen to leverage terminal (600 metres long) India’s economic growth and and another general container trade networks for its benefit. It terminal (640 metres long). would enable Afghan farmers A Trilateral Transit and Transport quick and direct access to arrangement between India- the Indian markets for their Afghanistan-Iran is envisaged perishable produce. to create a reliable legal framework to ensure smooth Chabahar Port flow of goods and vehicles Chabahar Port, located in the between Chabahar port and Sistan-Baluchistan province in Afghanistan through Iran. Iran, is an important infrastructure development project being First shipment of currently undertaken by both wheat from India to Afghanistan India and Afghanistan India was taken in the meeting India and Iran for enhancing established a Direct Air between Prime Minister Narendra sea-land connectivity with On 29 October 2017, External Freight Corridor Modi and Afghan President Afghanistan and Central Asian Affairs Minister of India and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan India and Afghanistan established Ghani in September 2016 Region. The Chabahar Port a direct air freight corridor with during the Afghan President’s the arrival of the first cargo flight visit to India. The connectivity carrying 60 tonnes of cargo established through the Air from Kabul to Delhi on 19 June Freight Corridor and now 2017. The inaugural flight was expanded to Kandahar-New flagged off in Kabul by President Delhi sector also, will provide of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Afghanistan, a landlocked received in New Delhi by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar. The decision to establish an Air Freight Corridor between Afghanistan and for Afghanistan. It will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Afghanistan and enhance trade and commerce between the three countries and the wider region. Six more wheat shipments are planned to be sent to Afghanistan over the next few months. Road from Zaranj to Delaram Construction of a 218 km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating movement of goods Afghanistan the Parliament building, service and services to the Iranian border Parliament Building block cum parking and reception was completed in 2010. The Spread over 86 acres and built office. The Afghan Parliament highway will connect Iran with over 28,370 sq m area, the was inaugurated by the Prime the Garland Highway, which links Afghan Parliament is India’s gift Minister of India jointly with through a joint video conference, Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif to the people of Afghanistan. The President of Afghanistan on 25 flagged off the first shipment of Herat and Kunduz. project included construction of December 2015. The sessions wheat from India to Afghanistan of both Upper House (Meshrano that would be transhipped Jirga) and Lower House (Wolesi through the Chabahar port Jirga) are now being held in the in Iran. The shipment is part new building. of commitment made by the Government of India to supply 1.1 million tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan on grant basis. The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity Friendship Dam (AIFD). The Afghanistan on 4 June 2016. The “When Afghanistan becomes a Afghan India project implementation faced Dam has an installed capacity haven of peace and a hub for the Friendship Dam flow of ideas,commerce, energy The most important symbol several challenges, including of 42 MW and supplies water and investments in the region, we of India’s assistance in the logistical and security aspects. for irrigating 75,000 hectares of will all prosper together.” reconstruction of Afghanistan The project was inaugurated land. Since then, the project has — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been the construction of jointly by the Prime Minister been generating electricity and the multipurpose Afghan India of India with the President of releasing water for irrigation. India-Afghanistan: • Construction of Shahtoot dam New Development and drinking water project Partnership for Kabul, that would also Under the rubric of India- facilitate irrigation. Afghanistan New Development • Low cost housing project for Partnership, the following returning Afghans refugees assistance programmes have in Nangarhar Province to been initiated: promote resettlement. • 116 new ‘High Impact • Road connectivity to Band-e- Community Development Amir in Bamyan Province that Projects’ in 31 provinces of would promote tourism to the and will run till the 500 slots Afghanistan, including in the national park and economic are exhausted. areas of education, health, development. Small Development • Training, including to Afghan Project agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, renewable energy, flood • Water supply network for civil servants, defence and • A Memorandum of control, micro-hydropower, Charikar city in Parwan police personnel in Indian Understanding (MoU) between sports infrastructure, Province. institutions. India and Afghanistan was administrative infrastructure. • Establishment of Gypsum signed on 28 August 2005 India-Afghanistan board manufacturing plant in in the areas of Agriculture, Scholarships Kabul to promote value added Education, Labour, Rural Programme industry. Development and Public Human resource development Health. The projects are being • Construction of a polyclinic in and capacity building initiatives, implemented through local Mazar-e-Sharif. which constitute an important bodies, non-Governmental segment of India’s assistance • Assistance to Afghanistan organizations, charitable portfolio in Afghanistan, include: in use of remote sensing trusts and education and technology, including in • Following the reconstruction vocational institutes. The Small agriculture and resource and renovation of Habibia Development Projects were management. School in Kabul, India is implemented in three phases extending assistance for –first in July 2006 comprising • Scholarship Scheme for 500 training and maintenance of 50 proposals; the second in Children/ Dependents of the school. June 2008 comprising 51 Afghan National Defence & proposals and the third in Security Forces (ANDSF) to • A Special Scholarship Scheme November 2012 comprising of be implemented by ICCR from of 1000 scholarships per 303 project proposals. academic year 2018-2019 annum to Afghan Nationals • The Afghanistan National in the field of agriculture Agricultural Sciences and through the Indian Council of Technology University Agricultural Research (ICAR) (ANASTU) set up with scholarships. Government of India assistance is contributing to Restoration capacity building in agricultural of Stor Palace sciences. The Indian The historic 100 year old Stor Agriculture Research Institute Palace located in Afghan Foreign (IARI) is involved in training, Office premises in Kabul was equipping and establishing the restored to its previous splendour (administered by ICCR) has need to strengthen its university. with India’s assistance in 2016. been very successful with administration and governance The Stor palace was inaugurated 100% utilization. at national, provincial and • In the area of skill by the Prime Minister of India and district levels, including development, the Government • India offers 500 Indian the President of Afghanistan on through sharing experiences of India has been providing Technical and Economic 22 August 2016. and technical assistance in education to Afghan nationals Cooperation (ITEC) slots to building capacities of civil Afghanistan annually. The administration and project ITEC