Afghan President’s India Visit: New Delhi and Kabul Establish Strategic Cooperation

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, came to India for a two-day visit on 4 October. Karzai’s trip to New Delhi is seen as one laden with significance where the deepening of bilateral ties between the two countries are concerned. The two countries entered into a strategic partnership under which India will, among other things, assist the war-ravaged nation in training, equipping and capacity building programs for Afghan National Security Forces.

The landmark agreement was signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Karzai after their wide ranging discussions on the situation in the embattled nation and how India could strengthen its capacity building programs in that country.

Political and Security Issues

The agreement envisions bilateral ties on an altogether different and broader plane, encompassing areas such as security and economic cooperation. The most significant aspect of the strategic partnership is the political and security cooperation it envisages in areas such as combating international terrorism.
The agreement provides for the training, equipping and capacity-building of Afghan national security forces, which is being seen as a preparation for the drawdown of US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces by 2014. Thus far, treading carefully, New Delhi had been largely pumping aid to help build Afghanistan’s infrastructure.

Security cooperation between the sides was intended to help enhance their respective and mutual efforts in the fight against international terrorism, organized crime, illegal trafficking in narcotics, money laundering and so on, the text of the strategic partnership document said. India agreed to assist, as mutually determined, in the training, equipping and capacity building programs for Afghan National Security Forces.

The two countries also concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of development of hydrocarbons and another on cooperation in the field of mineral resource development.

Under the agreement, the two sides will engage in close political cooperation by establishing a mechanism for regular bilateral political and Foreign Office Consultations. Political consultations will be led by the Foreign Ministries of both countries and include summit level consultations convened at least once a year.

The two sides will also consult and cooperate at the United Nations and other international, regional and multilateral fora. India and Afghanistan also agreed to establish a Strategic Dialogue to provide a framework for cooperation in the area of national security. The dialogue will be led by National Security Advisers (NSAs) and involve regular consultations with the aim of intensifying mutual efforts toward strengthening regional peace and security.

Support for UN Reforms

The strategic agreement also comprises joint initiatives on key international issues and support for UN reforms, including permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council. It entails a strategic dialogue to provide a framework for cooperation in the area of national security. "The dialogue will be led by NSAs and involve regular consultations with the aim of intensifying mutual efforts towards strengthening regional peace and security.

The two countries committed themselves to strengthening trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation, as well as cooperation between other bodies of business and industry representatives, with a view to expanding trade and economic relations.

The major pacts signed include:

* An MoU on cooperation in the field mineral resource development concluded. The two sides will engage in close political cooperation
* India to assist in training, equipping and capacity building programmes for Afghan security forces
* Both nations committed to strengthening trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation

IBSA, BRIC Summits Call For Cooperation Between Nations

India on 15 April joined Russia, Brazil, China and South Africa in holding back-to-back summits of IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) and BRIC (Brazil-Russia-India-China) that underscore a shared quest for greater collective influence within the changing geometry of the international system.

Building Strong Moral Force
The two groupings -- of which Brazil and India are common members -- were originally meant to meet here over two days in the rising powers' answer to the G7 platform of top industrialized countries. But with China's President Hu Jintao cutting short his visit because of an earthquake in Qinghai, the IBSA forum and the BRIC group both met within hours of each other on April 15.

Calling IBSA "a strong moral force in today's unsettled world," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived here from Washington on 14 April, said the significance of the grouping extended well beyond the bilateral ties between its three members. Among the areas he identified for coordination within IBSA were greater access to developed markets, reform of the United Nations, climate change and terrorism. Brazil was represented at the summit by President Lula da Silva and South Africa by President Jacob Zuma.

Iran's Nuclear Issue
The IBSA nations further advocated a peaceful and negotiated solution to Iran's controversial nuclear programme and asked Tehran to fully cooperate with the IAEA and UN Security Council Resolutions.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with Lula and Zuma recognized the right of Iran to develop nuclear programs for peaceful purposes in keeping with its international obligations.

They called upon Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and comply with the relevant UNSC resolutions. They also reiterated the need for a peaceful and negotiated diplomatic solution of the issue.

Coherent International Commitment on Afghanistan
With regard to Afghanistan, the leaders expressed concern at the continuing deterioration of the military and political situation in Afghanistan, the growth of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism promoted by Taliban and Al-Qa'ida, and its links with international terrorism. They reiterated, in this context, that a coherent and a united international commitment, both in its developmental and security/military aspects, remained of paramount importance.

In this context, they also emphasized the need to strengthen the Afghan National Security Forces. They agreed to continue to cooperate and coordinate their efforts to impart greater strength to the process. They reaffirmed their commitment to a democratic, pluralistic and stable Afghanistan. They underlined the centrality of the regional aspect in the reconstruction and development process in Afghanistan.