By IANS,
New Delhi: With India’s grassroots development projects becoming a big success in Afghanistan, an Afghan team will visit New Delhi soon to learn from its varied experience in rural development.
Ahead of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to Kabul this week, India’s ambassador to Afghanistan Guatum Mukhopadhyay Wednesday met Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi and discussed a host of initiatives undertaken by New Delhi for rural reconstruction in that country.
The envoy told the minister that an Afghan delegation led by its rural rehabilitation minister will shortly visit India to learn from the Indian experience and the impact of ongoing rural development programs, the rural development ministry said.
Krishna travels to Kabul on a two-day visit starting Saturday.
Since an international conference in London in February last year, India has prioritized agriculture development as a crucial part of its engagement with Afghanistan. Joint rural development projects will also be discussed, official sources said.
India has pledged $1.3 billion for a slew of reconstruction activities ranging from building roads and railways to power stations and grassroots projects in Afghanistan.
India has launched scores of quick gestation grassroots development projects that have generated employment for locals and earned New Delhi goodwill from ordinary Afghans.