Inderne vil gerne udmanøvrere Pakistan og formindske dets rolle i det krigshærgede centralasiatiske naboland
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pledged a further 500 million US dollar (ca. 2,5 milliarder DKR) to Afghanistan over the next six years, BBC online reports Thursday.
Mr Singh made the announcement in Kabul. The money is in addition to 1,5 billion dollar already promised.
India and Afghanistan share concerns over militant networks in Pakistan. India is the biggest regional donor to Afghanistan.
The money will be spent on agriculture, schools and roads. India is already building the new parliament in Kabul – at a cost of 19 million dollar.
Indian diplomats say that any rapid reduction of the US presence in Afghanistan would cause them concern, because the country could become dominated by a Taliban-influenced government friendly towards its arch-rival Pakistan.
President Karzai’s desire for talks with the Taliban has not in the past sat easy with India. But standing by President Karzai, Manmohan Singh said he now strongly supported those discussions.
Analysts say that India may now accept that the Taliban has to be part of any political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. But it also dearly does not want its arch-rival Pakistan leading any reconciliation process.
The Indian PM was making his first visit to Kabul in six years. BBC notes that with Pakistan’s international reputation damaged after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Delhi may see an opportunity to nudge Kabul closer to its side.
