India: Our focus in Afghanistan is development, not security

WASHINGTON (PAN but will continue to focus on development efforts in the country, according to a top Indian official.

“We do not want to get involved in the security affairs of Afghanistan,” the Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters at a news conference, after meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.

“USA is interested that there should be dialogue between India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. India should also play a proactive role in Afghanistan,” Mukherjee said.

The finance minister told Clinton and Donilon that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently visited Kabul and announced an additional $500 million aid package for Afghanistan.

He said India is mainly involved in Afghanistan to build capacity in the social sector and develop the country’s infrastructure.

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