India-Afghanistan

In News: Taliban asked India to complete its development projects in Afghanistan.

The statement said: “We are hopeful that with the upgrading of the diplomatic mission, we will move forward from the humanitarian aspect to development aspects. And in that area, our priority that we’ve also conveyed to the Indian side is that of the completion of some of the incomplete projects that India has done, as a first step”.

• Shahtoot Dam in Kabul as one of the projects that the Taliban wanted India to complete.
• The statement also included reviving connectivity through Iran’s Chabahar port. The Taliban regime is also keen to revive the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline

Background

• India recently reopened its embassy in Kabul, a year after it was shut down and all personnel evacuated in the wake of the August 15, 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
• India’s development assistance to Afghanistan is estimated to be worth well over $3 billion across 20 years, including key roads, dams, electricity transmission lines and substations, and schools and hospitals.

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Source: Indian Express