India Expands Development Collaboration with Afghanistan; Focuses on Healthcare, Cricket, and Trade

Ravi Singh

India takes its development engagement with Afghanistan into new heights of significance. It zeroed in upon sectors such as healthcare, sports, trade and humanitarian assistance and scaled up those activities. Indeed, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met acting foreign minister for Afghanistan, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi here on Tuesday where both sides stated their commitment toward deepening relations between the two countries.

India stated that it was prepared to meet the urgent developmental needs of Afghanistan, especially in healthcare, refugee rehabilitation, and promoting sports, especially cricket. India has already provided significant humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, including 50,000 metric tons of wheat, 300 tons of medicines, 100 million polio doses, and more recently dispatched earthquake relief materials, Covid vaccines, pesticide, winter clothing, and hygiene kits.

Noting Afghanistan’s strategic location, the two countries agreed to promote the use of Iran’s Chabahar port to improve trade and commercial activities to increase regional connectivity. The port is an important hub for trade between India, Afghanistan, and other Central Asian countries, particularly for goods and humanitarian supplies.

The collaboration was also seen in the light of sports diplomacy. Cricket is the new shared passion of the youth of both nations. IPL has already provided a platform for several Afghan cricketers, including Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. India wants to develop cricket in Afghanistan through joint training programs, youth exchange initiatives, and capacity-building efforts.

The Afghan minister thanked India for the constant support and asked them to remain sensitive to its security concerns. India’s involvement in Afghanistan goes beyond mere immediate humanitarian aid, with hopes to explore long-term development projects in fields such as health, agriculture, and infrastructure.

This enhanced cooperation marks the inherent amity between India and Afghanistan, but also clearly indicates the commitment that India has towards assisting the reconstruction and stability of Afghanistan.