Gulf Times

Regional meet identifies projects to assist Kabul

November 20, 2006

NEW DELHI: Projects to help Afghanistan become a regional "energy bridge" as well as a major land-transit route were among the key initiatives announced after a two-day meet on the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country, officials said yesterday. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee said efforts to develop a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline would be stepped up.

They were addressing a joint press conference after the second Regional Economic Co-operation Conference (RECC) on Afghanistan in the Indian capital New Delhi. "We will come to know the time-frame of the TAPI pipeline after its detailed project report is finalised," said Mukherjee.

A declaration which was adopted after the conference said countries and organisations would assist Afghanistan to become an energy bridge in the region and to develop regional trade through supporting initiatives in bilateral or multilateral cross-border energy projects." Spanta said Afghanistan could benefit from becoming a "land- bridge" linking Central Asia to south-east Asia and the country was recognised as a "central land-bridge" at the conclave. "We hope as soon as possible Pakistan opens the road from India to Afghanistan for strengthening of common co-operation and for realisation of the recommendation of the conference," Spanta said.

He added that a Centre for Regional Economic Co-operation dedicated to "practical and specific initiatives" for regional development would be established in Kabul soon. Ministers from 18 countries including Pakistan, Iran, China and India, members of the G-8 group of countries and top officials from multilateral institutions participated in the meet. "While the focus is Afghanistan, the outcome would be an enhanced developmental impact throughout the region," Mukherjee said.

The Afghan president was conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development by the Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi yesterday. Karzai was scheduled to leave for Kabul later yesterday.

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