NEW DELHI: The first India-China joint training programme for Afghan diplomats was inaugurated at the Foreign Service Institute of India in New Delhi on Monday. Apart from the 10 Afghan diplomats, the event was attended by the Dean of Indian Foreign Service Institute Ambassador J S Mukul, China’s ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Afghanistan Mohanmmad Khairullah Azad and MEA Joint Secretary Deepak Mittal.
In an address read out by Mukul, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stressed on India’s commitment to a “united, peaceful, secure, stable, inclusive and economically vibrant” Afghanistan, led by Afghans.“The seeds for joint cooperation in Afghanistan were sown at the meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of China when they met in Wuhan in April 2018. Today, we see it blooming with the initiation of this training programme. This marks the beginning of what we visualise as a long-term trilateral partnership for the benefit of Afghanistan,” she said.
Ambassador Luo read out remarks by Chinese State Councilor and FM Wang Yi, who said the programme was a testament to the joint aspiration and endeavor of China and India… to contribute to regional peace and stability. “I have every confidence that this programme will go a long way toward helping Afghan diplomats build capacity, enhance friendship and understanding among our three nations, and realising peace and development in Afghanistan at an early date,” he said.
Noting that India and China shared “common interests and similar stance” on Afghanistan issue, Luo added: “I am sure that in future, China-India cooperation in Afghanistan will span from training programme to more concrete projects.”