A day in Delhi for Ghani and Tillerson 

A day in Delhi for Ghani and Tillerson 

Context:

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani will visit India on October 24.

Introduction:

• The visit by President Ghani comes within days of a visit to Kabul by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and recent Taliban attack on the Afghan National Army base in Kandahar province that killed more than 50 security personnel.
• It was agreed to further strengthen strategic dialogue and consultations for achieving shared objectives.
• Though there was no elaboration of the shared objectives, both sides were believed to have deliberated on challenges of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, ways to deepen bilateral defence and security ties and the fragile reconciliation process in the war-ravaged country.
• Both the nations emphasized that bilateral and sincere regional cooperation is important for peace, security and stability in the region.
• Both sides welcomed the opportunities created by the new US strategy for bringing peace and security in Afghanistan,”
• Purpose of upcoming visit:
• The visits will provide India opportunity to hold talks on crucial regional and security-related issues.
• Mr. Ghani’s visit, which is likely to last for half-a-day, is significant as it comes two-months after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his government’s new Afghanistan policy for which he has urged India to do more.

Significance:

• The visits of Mr. Ghani and Mr. Tillerson to Delhi indicate that they will provide all three — the U.S., Afghanistan and India — the opportunity to hold talks on crucial regional and security-related issues.
• Mr Tillerson said “The world’s centre of gravity is shifting to the heart of the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. and India — with our shared goals of peace, security, freedom of navigation, and a free and open architecture — must serve as the eastern and western beacons of the Indo-Pacific.”
• Mr. Tillerson had also pointed out that China’s rise as an international power had been “less peaceful.”
• The Asia-Pacific component of the visit will unfold soon after the latest congress of the Communist Party of China which led to the consolidation of power of President Xi Jinping and his re-election for one more term.

India and Afghanistan present relations:

• Defence and security ties between India and Afghanistan have been on an upswing.
• India has given four military helicopters to Afghanistan which has been trying to strengthen its air power following a significant cut in NATO forces there.
• The last of the four Mi 24 attack choppers was given in November 2016.
• Afghanistan has also been seeking India’s assistance in making functional Soviet-era helicopters and transport aircraft which were not in a flying condition.
• In 2016, India had announced taking up 116 new developmental projects in 31 provinces of Afghanistan, weeks after US President Donald Trump sought New Delhi’s help in the economic development of that country.
• India has been playing a key role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and given it assistance worth $2 billion in the last few years.

Background:

India-Afghanistan ties:

• Relations between the people of Afghanistan and India traces to the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• In 1999, India became one of the key supporters of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.
• In 2005, India proposed Afghanistan’s membership in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Both nations also developed strategic and military cooperation against Islamic militants.
• Three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for strengthening cooperation in the fields of rural development, education and standardisation during Hamid Karzai’s visit to India in April 2006.
• During the 15th SAARC summit in Colombo, India pledged another $450 million alongside a further $750 million already pledged for ongoing and forthcoming projects.
• India seeks to expand its economic presence in Afghanistan as the international coalition fighting the Taliban withdraws combat forces through 2014.
• India, with a commitment of $1.2 billion through 2013, is already the sixth largest donor to Afghanistan. It has been involved in diverse development projects in infrastructure, education and agriculture.