Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, second left, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pose for a photograph as they prepare to open the newly-build parliament complex in Kabul yesterday.
DPA
Kabul
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Afghan parliament building in Kabul yesterday.
The building was constructed by India in the western part of Kabul, at a cost of $90mn.
During the opening ceremony, Modi in a speech urged regional countries to help bring stability and security to Afghanistan.
“We know that Afghanistan’s success will require the cooperation and support of each of its neighbours,” Modi said.
He warned of the rise of “new clouds of extremism” in the region and said that Afghans are not only fighting for their own survival but are also standing up for the rest of the world’s security.
Although he did not mention Pakistan by name, Modi warned that “Afghanistan will succeed only when terrorism no longer flows across the border; when the sanctuaries of terrorism are shut.”
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of not doing enough to stem the flow Taliban militants across the border to launch attacks on Afghan soil.
Modi later announced that he would be making a stopover in Pakistan on the way back to India.
President Ashraf Ghani echoed Modi’s remarks, saying: “We want an end to the export of terrorists into Afghanistan.”
India previously delivered three attack helicopters to the Afghan government in a step up for the Indian government’s help for Afghan security forces.
The helicopters were to be officially handed over to the Afghan government later yesterday, Ghani said.
