Extending a helping hand to rebuild trouble-affected Afghanistan, India has committed to invest in 150 projects worth $80 million. Addressing the Afghanistan 2020 conference on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that India has signed an agreement with Afghanistan to build Shahtoot dam and will be soon launching phase 4 of high-impact community development projects. Estimated around $80 million, these will be about 150 projects across Afghanistan. The Shahtoot damn, in particular, would provide safe drinking water to over 2 million residents in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Expressing India’s commitment towards Afghanistan’s development, S Jaishankar said that he strongly believes that the progress made by the region in past two decades should be preserved and the interest of minorities, women and vulnerable sections must be ensured.
In addition to this, EAM also called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the region to ensure peace and stability. Calling the increasing violence in Afghanistan ‘a matter of grave concern’, Jaishankar pointed out that the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
Last but certainly not the least, MEA Jaishankar reiterated that India looks forward to walk hand in hand with the people of Afghanistan and the world community to work towards a peaceful, prosperous, sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan. The Afghanistan 2020 conference, was also attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, UN and EU officials, besides representatives of other countries.
