India Afghanistan Seal Deal to Build Dam in Kabul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani held a virtual meet on Tuesday in which the two neighbours agreed that it was essential to create a terror-free region. India and Afghanistan also signed an agreement to build the Shahtoot dam in Kabul to provide drinking water facility in the Afghan capital.

PM Narendra Modi, while speaking with Ashraf Ghani on video conference said, “Both India and Afghanistan want to see the region free of terrorism.” PM Modi also expressed concern over the increasing violence in Afghanistan and said that India supports a comprehensive ceasefire in the country.

Ashraf Ghani added, “A sovereign and united Afghanistan is essential to South Asia’s prosperity, connectivity and stability. Peace is the central desire of Afghan people but that peace must be peace that ends violence and not becomes a preface in chapter to another tragedy.”

Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart signed the MoU to build the dam in Kabul on Tuesday as PM Modi and Ashraf Ghani looked on.

“We are happy that Shahtoot dam will provide drinking water facility to Kabul and also be used for irrigation purpose,” said PM Modi on the signing of MoU to construct the dam in Kabul.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said, “With Shahtoot reservoir, we will be able to implement our vision of restoring natural beauty that captivated the imagination of Babur. I thank India and PM Modi for offering this gift of water, in addition to the gift of vaccines.”
PM Modi, Ghani on India-Afghanistan

As the virtual meeting went on, PM Modi further said, “Unity within Afghanistan is important. I am confident that a united Afghanistan is capable of dealing with any challenge.”

Ghani too sounded a similar note and said, “India is a true partner in Afghanistan’s development. No outside force will be able to stop Afghanistan’s development and friendship with India.”

“India’s development assistance to Afghanistan is marked on our landscape,” said Ghani.

PM Modi added, “India has been a partner in Afghanistan’s development process.”

Source: IndiaToday