Afghanistan faces threat of terrorism from beyond its borders

ALMATY: India today said Afghanistan faced persistent threat of terrorism from beyond its borders and asked countries in the region to acknowledge the rising dangers posed by these forces and step up counter-terrorism efforts.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, addressing the ' Heart of Asia' ministerial conference in Kazakh capital here, also made it clear that India did not see Afghanistan as a zone of competitive influence and want it to be an opportunity for regional cooperation.

He said Afghanistan would experience lasting peace only if short-sighted perceptions of competition and strategic depth were replaced by collaboration and economic investment by countries of the region and the rest of the world.

"While striving for realisation of this vision, we however do not have any illusion that, we can ignore political and security issues that stand in the way. We have no doubt that the greatest challenge posed to vision of Afghanistan is the persistent threat of terrorism that emanates from beyond its borders," he said.

The meeting on Afghanistan is the third Heart of Asia ministerial-level meeting of the Istanbul Process and is attended by 14 countries in the neighbourhood and 16 others.

It assumes significance in the wake of the proposed withdrawal of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014.

Noting that other countries in the region, especially India, were not immune to this threat, Khurshid said an honest commitment to the principles enshrined in the Almaty Declaration will have to begin with an "acknowledgement of the rising dangers posed by these forces of extremism and terrorism to the future of Afghanistan."