PM arrives in Kabul on two-day Afghan visit

From Priyanka Tikoo
Kabul, May 12 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Thursday arrived here on a two-day visit to
Afghanistan during which he will discuss terrorism, regional
development and ways to step up India's assistance to the
war-torn country.
Singh was received at Kabul airport by Afghan Foreign
Minister Zalmay Rasoul and Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak
and other senior officials.
National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao and Prime Minister's special envoy to
Afghanistan Satinder Lamba and other senior officials are
accompanying Singh, who is visiting the war-ravaged nation
after six years.
Singh will meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai later in
the day. He will address the Afghan Parliament tomorrow.
Ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister had emphasised
that his discussions with President Karzai will cover regional
developments and the fight against terrorism.
The visit will also deliver "tangible" results with
India to discuss ways to advance its developmental partnership
with Afghanistan to a new level in the coming years.
There are indications that India will step-up its
assistance for various developmental projects which already
cover almost two-third of the provinces in Afghanistan.
While India is carrying out various developmental
projects in Afghanistan, security still remains a big concern
for Indian interests and other establishments.
Indian government sources pointed out that several
Indian private companies have shown interest in iron ore
mining and said Afghanistan has also conveyed that it welcomes
their participation and assured it that they will do their
best to provide security.
Noting that instability and extremism in Afghanistan
affect India's progress and development and pose a danger to
the country's security, the sources said that during the
meeting with the Afghan leadership, India would also like to
know the views of the government there on the situation after
the killing of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
"Obviously, the situation post-killing of Osama is
something of concern to all of us and we would also like to
hear what President Karzai has to say about it," they said,
while maintaining that India's concerns over reconciliation
with Taliban have not "gone away" with bin Laden's death. PTI
PYK