The India-Afghanistan strategic partnership provides for assistance to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure and institutions—such as the Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat, one of the largest projects India has carried out in Afghanistan, and the India-built House of Parliament, testimony that New Delhi believes in Afghanistan’s democratic values. Overall, four hundred plus high-impact community projects have been completed by India in Afghanistan across all its 34 provinces, and another over one hundred are ongoing. The partnership is also for higher education and technical assistance to bolster and strengthen indigenous Afghan capacity in different areas. Nearly 1,000 scholarships are given to Afghan nationals each year for studying in India, and they are usually fully utilized. Another 1,000 slots are offered to Afghan nationals under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation that address the need to strengthen Afghanistan’s administration at the national, provincial and district levels.

There is also India’s support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, broad-based and inclusive process of peace and reconciliation. In this connection, India’s proactive engagement is very well appreciated and acknowledged by Afghanistan, including the people of this nation. As Mr Qadiry puts it, “India’s presence has been immensely important for Afghanistan.” Our own coverage of Afghanistan has only grown over the years, with enough having been written and showcased to fill up an entire edition, and more.