PM offers helping hand to Kabul, Karzai a bridge to entire region

But that Pakistan still does not allow transit between India and Afghanistan is a major impediment in realising this vision. In this context, India is said to have been keen on an official endorsement of a car rally between Delhi and Kabul in the joint statement.

The idea was prompted by the success of the India-ASEAN car rally last year in reviving people-to-people affinity. However, it’s learnt that this was dropped at the last moment with Karzai not counting it in his immediate list of priorities. ‘‘Which cars, Indian or international? Let us first have regionally made cars, then we will happily welcome it.’’

The other reason, sources said, was that discussions on such a rally had not been initiated with Pakistan though an endorsement from Karzai could have helped. The Afghan President, however, said he has discussed the issue of allowing transit to Indian goods with Pakistan and the response was ‘‘not negative’’.

In trying to explain this, Karzai sought to make the point that Afghanistan has a stake in the India-Pakistan peace process as progress on that front will remove such obstacles in the future.

‘‘Afghanistan is directly affected by the India-Pakistan peace process and I believe that it is the destiny of the people of the region that there is peace and prosperity,’’ Karzai said, adding that he favoured trilateral cooperation between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Singh and Karzai also endorsed the need for greater ‘‘consultation’’ and ‘‘cooperation’’ in the project of building a pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan into India. The Prime Minister clarified that with a growth rate of 7-8 per cent, India needs access to energy resources and whether it is from Iran or Turkmenistan is not an issue.

The visit was also an opportunity for India and Afghanistan to discuss the assistance New Delhi has extended in the reconstruction effort. The Prime Minister announced a $50 million package which adds up to the existing $500 million Indian assistance.

India has already committed $25 million for the construction of a new parliament building for Afghanistan. Karzai told the Prime Minister that this contribution was ‘‘magnificently meaningful as the parliament is just like what the Taj Mahal is to India’’. The Prime Minister also underlined the significance of his visit when he told Karzai that this was a relationship between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s ‘‘youngest’’ democracy.

Singh also outlined India’s fresh initiatives that include starting community-inspired small developmental projects, adopting 100 villages for integrated rural development by way of solar electrification and rain water harvesting projects, and opening vocational training centres to take forward the skill-building initiative.

Besides this, India and Afghanistan today also signed other agreements on cooperation in health and agriculture.

The Prime Minister along with Karzai, also jointly inaugurated the Habibia High School building that was renovated by India at a cost of over $5 million.