Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's India visit: Modi government hopes to expand strategic ties

NEW DELHI: India and Afghanistan could explore new defence mechanism to increase capacity building for Afghan armed forces during Ashraf Ghani’s maiden trip to India as President on April 27-28, months after the new dispensation in Kabul suspended a request made by his predecessor to acquire heavy arms from Delhi.

Ghani’s much-awaited trip to India, after his trips to China, Pakistan and USA, has raised expectations of expanding bilateral strategic partnership amid the security situation in Afghanistan and increasing footprints of Islamic State in the landlocked country as evident from Saturday’s terror attack in Jalalabad. Official sources indicated that India could explore increasing training slots for Afghan armed forces personnel as part of Delhi’s assistance for capacity building of an institution key to the stability of the landlocked country.

The Afghan Presidential visit was earlier scheduled for March-end but was postponed to April end. Meanwhile Afghan CEO and old friend of India Dr. Abdullah Abdullah visited Delhi and met senior leadership here.

Ghani became President last year in bitterly contested elections.

Ghani’s earlier decision to suspend the request for supply of arms was viewed setback for Indo-Afghan strategic ties. Besides his decision to visit China and Pakistan ahead of India was also viewed as a snub to Delhi. However, both senior Indian as well as Afghan officials dispelled such notions.