New Delhi, July 9. India and Afghanistan on July 9 reviewed the full spectrum of their bilateral relationship, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation in humanitarian assistance, development, trade and capacity building during the fourth round of the India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting held in New Delhi.
The meeting was co-chaired by M Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Shuaib Baryalai, Director General of the First Political Division in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on key areas of bilateral cooperation, including humanitarian assistance, development partnership, food security, healthcare, education, sports, trade, visa facilitation, connectivity and capacity-building initiatives.
The discussions underscored India’s continued engagement with Afghanistan despite the country’s political transition and reflected New Delhi’s longstanding focus on supporting the Afghan people through development-oriented initiatives.
During the meeting, the Indian delegation reiterated New Delhi’s unwavering commitment to addressing the welfare and development needs of the Afghan people. The Afghan side, in turn, expressed appreciation for India’s sustained assistance and cooperation across multiple sectors, acknowledging its contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.
Both sides also stressed the importance of maintaining regular institutional dialogue to further strengthen bilateral engagement and agreed to remain in close contact on issues of mutual interest.
The two countries decided to hold the next round of the India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting at a mutually convenient date, continuing the mechanism aimed at reviewing and advancing cooperation across diverse sectors.
