Hamid Karzai, the current Afghan President who took office in December 2004 and for a second time in 2009 will be visiting India from November 9 -12. Prior to his visit, Karzai will also address the 5th Bali democracy forum in Indonesia on November 8.
Karzai comes to India at a critical time as international combat troops prepare their withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2014.
“Four MoUs will be signed between the two countries in areas of mines, youth affairs, small development projects and fertilizers,” said Afghan Ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali. Karzai, who will begin his tour from Mumbai, will interact with the business community here and seek greater investment in his country in various sectors. He will also deliver the annual Maulana Abul Kalam Azad lecture on November 11 in New Delhi.
India and Afghanistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement during Karzai’s visit to India in October 2011, aimed to tackle the changed security situation in the region after NATO troops pull out in 2014. The two sides will thus attempt to intensify the strategic dialogue on bilateral and regional issues during Karzai’s visit. Having recently received an assurance for support beyond 2014 from the Italian Prime Minister, Karzai may seek a similar commitment from India.
The Indian side will mainly focus on the security aspects of Indian nationals and projects in Afghanistan. India has already pledged $2 billion in assistance in various forms such as humanitarian aid, education, development, construction and electrical projects including the construction of the Afghan Parliament. Furthermore, India also views Afghanistan as a possible bridge between energy-rich Central Asia and energy-hungry South Asia.
Gateway House’s Sambuddha Mitra Mustafi published an article titled ‘Afghanistan:Strategic depth to strategic peace’ which analyses India’s role in Afghanistan post 2014.