India on Wednesday said it would do everything within its means to promote stability and security of Afghanistan.
Earlier in the day, visiting Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai had stated that he had given a ‘wish list’ of military equipment to India. “We have brought a wish list to India. Now it is for the Government of India to act on it,” Karzai told reporters on Wednesday, a day after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Asked whether he was disheartened by India’s position on supply of arms, he said: “We understand where India can help and where India cannot and we respect that. India has gone beyond its means in the last 10 years to help Afghanistan.”
Terming the country as its most effective donor, he said: “Every dollar of the $2 billion assistance to us from India is spent effectively. Proportional to the size of its economy, India is perhaps our largest donor. The people of Afghanistan are grateful for this.”
“As I said, we stand ready and will do everything within our means to promote stability and security of Afghanistan,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.Meanwhile, Karzai ruled out any possibility of Indian boots on Afghan soil.