DCM Haidari Speaks at the Launch of Task Force Report on Afghanistan

New Delhi: - On April 4, 2014, Deputy Chief of Mission M. Ashraf Haidari was invited by Ananta Aspen Center and the Delhi Policy Group to join Ambassador S. K. Lambah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of India to Afghanistan, at a reception for the release of the Afghanistan Task Force Report: What India Can Do. Following remarks by Ambassador Lambah and Co-Chairs of the Task Force, Dr. Radha Kumar and Ambassador Parthasarathy, Mr. Haidari welcomed the timely release of the Task Force Report preceding Afghanistan’s historic presidential and provincial council elections that took place the next day.

Mr. Haidari appreciated the joint efforts of the two think-tanks, as well as members of the Task Force, who authored different sections of the Report. He noted with gratitude their expert recommendations for continued security and development cooperation between Afghanistan and India, in light of the Afghanistan-India Strategic Partnership Agreement. Commenting in response to questions asked by the audience, Mr. Haidari pointed out that Afghanistan’s number one challenge is insecurity, which is not rooted in the socio-cultural diversity of the country. In fact, like India, he said that pluralism was Afghanistan’s strength and at the heart of its deep national identity. However, he added that the causes and sources of insecurity in the country lie outside, while Afghanistan’s internal problems are limited to development, which he noted would take time to address, in partnership with the international community.

Ambassador Lambah said, “Our vision of Afghanistan is of a stable and peaceful hub linking Central and South Asia through a network of trade, transit and pipelines for the ultimate benefit of the countries and the people in the region. India is working with Afghanistan for its integration with the regional economy since 2002.” “I hope, therefore, that the promised development of Chahbahar Port through cooperation between India and Iran is also realized soon”, the Ambassador added. Welcoming the Ambassador’s comments, Mr. Haidari noted that normalization of relations between India and Pakistan would not only help the two countries but also bolster regional stability. Only a secure regional environment, he noted, would allow the countries of the region to prosper together.