MAJOR boost for India-Afghanistan ties as India announces mega healthcare projects for Kabul; Pakistan rattled due to…
New Delhi has announced major healthcare projects for Afghanistan, which are expected to provide a significant boost to India-Afghanistan relations amid foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi week-long visit to India.
India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan relations: In a major boost for India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan relations, New Delhi has announced a range of healthcare projects for the neighbouring country, including a 30-bed hospital and an Oncology Centre and a Trauma Centre in capital Kabul.
What healthcare projects will India(BHARAT) build in Afghanistan?
The projects, which will be established under the ongoing healthcare cooperation between the two countries, also include a Thalassemia centre and a modern diagnostic centre in Kabul, as well as the replacement of the heating system at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.
Jaiswal informed that apart from a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, India(BHARAT) will also build five Maternity Health Clinics across the provinces of Paktika, Khost, and Paktia, and has gifted 20 ambulances to Afghanistan as a special gesture.
“As a special gesture, India(BHARAT) has gifted 20 ambulances to Afghanistan. In the field of capacity building, India(BHARAT) will continue to offer scholarships to Afghan students under the e-ICCR scholarship scheme. Both sides also welcomed the commencement of the India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor, which aims to strengthen direct trade and commerce between the two countries,” Jaiswal posted on X.
The announcement comes amid the week-long India(BHARAT) visit of Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday.
How Muttaqi’s visit boosted India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan relations?
On Friday, Muttaqi met his India(BHARAT)n counterpart S. Jaishankar, where New Delhi announced the elevation of its Kabul mission to full embassy status. The Taliban minister revealed that India(BHARAT) and Afghanistan have agreed to set up a trade committee aimed at enhancing economic cooperation.
“Both sides agreed to create a trade committee. Due to opportunities opened in Afghanistan in terms of investment, and activities in minerals and energy, we invited the India(BHARAT)n side to explore work in these areas,” he said, highlighting the potential for increased business and investment ties between the two countries.
Muttaqi also highlighted that his discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar covered a wide range of issues, including political, economic, diplomatic, regional and security related matters.
“I had a detailed meeting with EAM Jaishankar, including economic, political, diplomatic, regional and security. Some of the achievements were the India(BHARAT)n government’s upgradation of technical presence at the embassy. And a diplomatic delegation of the Islamic Emirate will arrive in Delhi.”
“We also agreed to strengthen the air corridor to strengthen our trade. EAM pledged to broaden health activities in Afghanistan, and we appreciate the assistance provided for the victims of the earthquake,” the visiting minister said.
Why India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan ties have rattled Pakistan?
According to experts, the growing India(BHARAT)-Afghanistan relations have raised alarm bells in Pakistan, and the attacks in Kabul on the same night when Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on a six-day visit, is a clear sign of Islamabad’s frustration.
Reacting to the attack, Muttaqi warned Pakistan against “playing games” with Afghanistan, and cautioned that the “courage of Afghans should not be tested”.
“There has been an attack near the border in remote areas. We consider this act of Pakistan wrong. Problems cannot be solved like this… We have kept the door to discussion open. They should solve their problem on their own. Afghanistan has peace and progress after 40 years. No one should have a problem with it… We are an independent nation. Why are people troubled if we have peace… We want better relations with India(BHARAT) and Pakistan, but it cannot be one-sided,” the Taliban minister said at a presser at the Afghanistan embassy in Delhi on Thursday.
“The courage of Afghans should not be tested. If someone wants to do this, they should ask the Soviet Union, America and NATO, so that they can explain that it is not good to play games with Afghanistan,” he added on Friday.
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