United Nations/New Delhi, Sep 19: India remains steadfast in its commitment to the friendly people of Afghanistan, and since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, New Delhi has provided 27 tons of relief material, 50,000 MT of wheat, 40,000 litres of pesticides and more than 300 tons of medicines and medical accessories besides 1.5 million doses of COVID vaccines to Afghanistan.

This was stated by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador P Harish, at a UNSC briefing on Afghanistan on Wednesday.

He said India has civilizational ties with the people of Afghanistan as its contiguous neighbour, and these historical people-to-people exchanges have forged unbreakable bonds of a special relationship.

“This is the basis of our contemporary engagement with Afghanistan,” he added.

“India is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and has been actively engaged in regional and international efforts to maintain stability and peace in Afghanistan. Our participation in the UN meetings in Doha, the Moscow Format and other fora are a reflection of our efforts to secure peace and stability in Afghanistan. India has also joined the two UNAMA Working Groups on counter-narcotics and enabling private sector in Afghanistan,” Harish added.

He said that the UNSC through its resolution 2593 (2021) had demanded that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country and had reiterated the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan, which continues to guide the International community’s approach to combat terrorism. Harish said the resolution’s call on all donors and international humanitarian actors to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan should continue to remain a shared global priority.

“India has been working with various UN Agencies for providing assistance to the Afghan people in areas of health, food security, education, counter narcotics, sports and capacity building. Since 2001, India has been committed towards rebuilding and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Our development partnership includes more than 500 projects spread across all provinces in Afghanistan,” he added.

India has continued scholarship schemes for Afghan students and since August 2021, has granted fresh admissions to 2,260 Afghan students including 300 girls. 3,000 Afghan students are pursuing education in India while almost 1,000 are doing so in the online mode.

Referring to the agreement with Iran on Chabahar port, he said it is “a visible expression of our intent towards growth of bilateral trade and commerce that can also serve the requirements of connectivity of Afghanistan”.

“In conclusion, Madam President, let me reaffirm India’s steadfast commitment to the friendly people of Afghanistan. India looks forward to continue working closely with all stakeholders and will leave no stone unturned in the global community’s efforts towards supporting the Afghan society in their quest for peace, stability, development and prosperity,” he added.

UNI