New Delhi: India on Monday announced an additional $50 million to the Afghan reconstruction effort. India and Afghanistan also signed three MoUs in the areas of education and rural development after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The two leaders also discussed the issue of terrorism and agreed to pool knowledge and experience to fight the menace, which is affecting the entire world.
On Pakistan's denial to transit facility for India goods to Afghanistan, Manmohan Singh said that he had earlier raised the issue with President Pervez Musharraf and now asked the Afghan President to use his good offices with Islamabad.
‘I have not given up hope,’ he said after nearly 90 minutes of talks that covered economic issues and terrorism, which has afflicted both the countries for several years.
Karzai said the transit facility was ‘extremely significant’ for India, Afghanistan and Pakistan and rest of the region.
He said Pakistan had already allowed transit of Afghan goods to India and hoped that such a facility will be allowed "very soon" for Indian goods to his country and beyond.
Karzai hoped that Pakistani goods will also have access to East Asia through India as he favoured free trade and movement of people that would benefit all.
Manmohan Singh said there were ‘some security concerns’ with regard to the Indian personnel engaged in construction of Delaram-Zaranj national highway in Afganistan and Karzai had assured him that effective measures will be taken to ensure their protection.
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