India, Afghanistan discuss trade, agri & connectivity

New Delhi: Coinciding with the visit of Afghanistan's Agriculture Minister, India and Afghanistan on Thursday held a Joint Committee Meeting led by their foreign ministries to give fresh impetus to the bilateral development partnership.

The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral ties, including cooperation in humanitarian assistance, development partnership, food security, healthcare, capacity building, education, sports, trade, visas and connectivity, an official said.

The Indian side reiterated its continued commitment to supporting the welfare and development needs of the Afghan people. The Afghan side appreciated India's sustained support and cooperation across various sectors, the official informed.


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The meeting was co-chaired by M Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (Pakistan Afghanistan Iran), Ministry of External Affairs, and Shuaib Baryalai, Director General, First Political Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.

Earlier on Wednesday, during a meeting between Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Afghanistan's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, the two sides agreed to work towards setting up a Joint Working Group to prepare a long-term roadmap for cooperation in agriculture and livestock.

The proposed group will facilitate regular engagement and identify new areas of cooperation, the agriculture ministry said.