India accepts Afghan offer to use Wagah border for trade

NEW DELHI: As India and Afghanistan on Monday got down to implementing their strategic partnership pact in the form of the first Partnership Council meeting, which was chaired by foreign minister S M Krishna and his counterpart Zalmai Rassoul, Afghan authorities sought go-ahead to export their most cherished product — dry fruits and sweets — to India via the Wagah border.Government sources said that India had willingly accepted the offer, and that both the countries will try and convince Pakistan to facilitate the move.
Now, most of India’s dry fruit imports from Afghanistan are routed through Iran. The Afghan delegation said in the meeting that transporting these directly to India through the India-Pakistan land border will ensure better returns for Afghan businessmen.
Officials said that Krishna had reacted very positively to the proposal. ``India is open to the suggestion but Afghanistan will first have to ask Pakistan for it. They feel emboldened by Pakistan’s decision earlier to allow export of Indian wheat to Afghanistan through its territory,’’ said a source.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have a trade and transit agreement, but it does not cover India. In a significant departure from its transit policy though, Pakistan this year has allowed India to export 1 lakh tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan through the port in Karachi.
Addressing the media after his meeting with Rassoul, Krishna also announced India’s initiative to host a Regional Investors’ Meeting in New Delhi to facilitate investments in Afghanistan. Krishna said that this initiative — to be held before the Tokyo meet on Afghanistan — is a measure of India’s long-term commitment to Kabul.
The two leaders also reviewed their cooperation in security in light of the impending withdrawal of ISAF troops and the ongoing reconciliation process in Afghanistan with Krishna reiterating the significance of the ``red lines’’ in moving forward. Rassoul said respect for Afghan constitution, freedom, human rights and democratic institutions was a must for the process. Several counter-terror measures in the light of the recent multiple attacks in Kabul and safety of Indians was also discussed.
Krishna said that India would react positively to any suggestions from Afghanistan on the upgrade of its security forces. This was after Rassoul said in the joint press interaction that Afghanistan wanted to discuss with India not just the training of its forces but also the need for equipment for them.
"Let me assure you that while it is a time of change and transformation in the region, India's commitment to Afghanistan is neither 'transitory' nor in 'transition'," Krishna said, adding that India’s security is entwined with peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Later, Rassoul also met PM Manmohan Singh who ``reiterated India’s unwavering commitment to assisting the government and people of Afghanistan in their endeavour to build a peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous country’’.
The Partnership Council meeting was preceded by a deliberation of the Joint Working Group on Political and Security Consultations headed by foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and Afghanistan’s deputy foreign minister.