Q. No. 4600 Assistance to Afghanistan

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether India has participated in a Conference held recently at Bonn to discuss the future of Afghanistan; and

(b) if so, the details in this regard?

ANSWER: THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SMT. PRENEET KAUR)

(a) & (b) External Affairs Minister led the Indian delegation to the International Afghanistan Conference chaired by H.E. Mr Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and hosted by the Government of Germany in Bonn on December 5, 2011. An outcome document titled ‘Afghanistan and the International Community: From Transition to the Transformation decade’ was issued at the end of the Conference. In his address to the Conference, EAM, while highlighting the continuing threat posed by terrorism, called for the elimination of safe havens and sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan’s borders. He also called upon the international community to assist Afghanistan address the crucial deficits it faces in the areas of security, governance, development and investment, by providing it with development assistance, access to markets and foreign investments. He also reaffirmed India’s long-term commitment to Afghanistan, and recalled recent Indian initiatives to virtually eliminate duties on Afghan exports to India and promote Indian investments in Afghanistan, to enable Afghanistan to integrate into the regional economy.

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