New Delhi announced a development aid of $ 25 million for Afghanistan in the Union Budget 2023-24. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
This is the second year India has continued its support since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. The first announcement was made in last year’s budget.
The interim government welcomed India’s announcement for Afghanistan. “We appreciate India’s support for Afghanistan’s development. It will help to improve ties and trust between the two nations,” said Suhail Shaheen, former IEA Negotiations Team Member for IEA.
Within the past two decades, most Indian assistance encompasses infrastructure projects, humanitarian assistance, education and capacity development and small and community-based projects. In addition, New Delhi has repeatedly emphasized historical ties between the two countries and sent wheat and vaccines during Cociv-19 Pandemic to the people of Afghanistan.
The relations between Afghanistan and India were disturbed when the Taliban retook Kabul in August 2021, and most of the projects funded by India stopped abruptly.
The Taliban-run government has urged India to resume work on these projects. “There were various projects in Afghanistan which India was funding. If India resumes work on these projects, it will boost relations between the two countries and eliminate distrust”, Shaheen said.
He added, “The people of Afghanistan are currently facing poverty and unemployment and need reconstruction and development projects more than ever.”
However, due to security concerns, India has not resumed work on its funded projects since August 2021.
The post India Announces Rs. 200 Crore Development Aid for Afghanistan in Budget 2023-24 appeared first on The Khaama Press News Agency.
Source: The Khaama Press News Agency
