Afghanistan for stronger defence ties with India

New Delhi, Jun 1 (PTI) Afghanistan on Wednesday said
it aims to establish closer defence ties with India and will
welcome any cooperation from it in training of its security
forces.
"We will welcome any cooperation (from India) in the
field of training and helping of Afghan national security
forces so that they are able to secure and defend the
country," Afghan Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak
told reporters here.
He was asked about the nature of help Afghanistan has
sought from India in areas of security and defence.
Wardak, who arrived here on a three-day visit, was
received at the South Block by his Indian counterpart A K
Antony.
On whether the enhanced cooperation between the two
countries could result in India supplying military equipment
to Afghanistan, Wardak said, "We will be discussing (it).
There is a very genuine interest in strengthening our
relations in all sectors including defence."
The visit of the Afghan Defence Minister assumes
significance against the backdrop of increasing terror
activities in Pakistan and the killing of Osama bin Laden.
India has been actively involved in modernisation
programmes in Afghanistan and is viewed as one of its trusted
allies pushing for closer security ties with the war-torn
nation.
There have been periodic defence exchanges between the
armed forces of the two countries since General Wardak last
visited India in April, 2008. The Afghan Chief of General
Staff, General Sher Mohammad Karimi had visited India in
October last year.
India has carried modernisation tasks worth over USD 1
billion after the Hamid Karzai government took over power
there.
The visit of the Afghan Defence Minister comes close
on the heels of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tour of
that country earlier this month.