India and Afghanistan on Thursday committed themselves to the early establishment of an air cargo link to overcome the obstacles being created by Pakistan in the smooth conduct of trade between them.
Afghanistan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai, who is on a visit to India to attend the International Counter Terrorism Conference, today held talks with Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar, Foreign Secretary S
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Jaishankar and Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA on a range of bilateral issues.
According to MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay, Karzai apprised the Indian side of the current situation in Afghanistan and the efforts being made by the government towards peace and reconciliation in the country.
The Indian side reiterated its commitment to continue to support the government and the people of Afghanistan in their efforts to build a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and united country within which the democratic and pluralistic aspirations of people of country are met.
Both sides exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and reviewed progress in implementation of the development cooperation projects and the decisions taken during the visits of President Ashraf Ghani to India last year to attend the Heart of Asia conference.
In response to a question, the spokesperson said discussions on the air corridor were going on between the two sides and making satisfactory progress. The need for an air corridor was felt since Pakistan does not allow Indian trucks to transit through its territory to Afghanistan.