President Donald Trump’s South Asia strategy is to develop strategic partnership with India.
At the India-Afghanistan Relationship: Examining Historical, Political, Economic, and Cultural Ties event, Nancy Jackson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan Affairs said that, “the United States welcomes India’s substantial investment in and assistance to Afghanistan. And we will continue to support efforts to achieve an honourable and enduring outcome in Afghanistan that preserves our investment in Afghanistan’s future.”
Speaking at the event, Indian ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, reiterated that India has played an active role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan since 2001. At present, India has completed 400 social infrastructure projects in the country and another 150 are under way.
All the Indian projects are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government and are spread across each and every of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan in diverse fields that include education, healthcare, infrastructure, administrative capacity, flood control, irrigation, agriculture and sports to name a few.
“So far, close to 400 social infrastructure projects have been completed and 150 projects are under various stages of progress covering all 34 provinces of Afghanistan…. Under our New Development Partnership, several important projects focused on developmental needs and priorities of Afghanistan have been identified for implementation including Shahtoot Dam and drinking water project for Kabul city, low-cost housing for returning Afghan refugees in Nangarhar province, among many others,” he said.
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Delivering the keynote address at the event, organised by think tank Hudson Institute, Jackson said, “For too long, the Taliban have taken comfort in their conviction that our fight is unsustainable. Our friends and adversaries should understand that our interest in protecting American citizens is enduring, as we advance in a responsible way forward toward a peace settlement that will benefit not only Afghans, but the entire region,” Jackson said in a warning to terrorist organisations operating in the region.
“In 2017, the President’s South Asia strategy acknowledged that military power alone will not bring peace to Afghanistan or stop the terrorist threat arising from that country,” she said. Rather, the American military effort is designed to create conditions for a negotiated settlement.
She appreciated India’s important contributions to provide stability in Afghanistan, including USD 3 billion in civilian assistance since 2001.
India and the US, who want to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, also share an interest in an economically self-sufficient and prosperous Afghanistan. “India and the United States are among Afghanistan’s largest trading partners, with both of our countries doing about USD 1 billion in annual bilateral trade with Afghanistan,” Jackson said.
Apart from these, India is helping the Afghan Red Crescent Society treat children with congenital heart disease. India provides scholarships to 1,000 Afghan students each year out of the 16,000 Afghans who are studying in India.