KABUL (SW): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the renovated “Qasr-e-Storay” (Star Palace) via a video link between Kabul and New Delhi on Monday.
The Qasr-e-Storay was built during the Amir Habibullah Khan’s reign in the compound of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the rages of war did not allow the Afghan government to reconstruct it. The renovation of this historic building on the west side of the Arg (Presidential Palace) is a joint venture of the two governments and the Agha Khan Foundation, which cost some $ 5.7 million.
Nandara Modi, the Indian Prime Minister said on the occasion that the Indo-Afghan friendship is deep rooted and time tested. He assured that New Delhi would continue its cooperation with Kabul. He said the inauguration of the Qasr-e-Storay brings back to life a valuable landmark of Afghanistan's cultural heritage. “I assure Afghan people that 1.25 billion people of India will always be on their side to build a prosperous Afghanistan," Modi added.
The Afghan President thanked India for its support for Afghanistan. "I express my most sincere appreciation for the government of India and its people," he said. Ghani termed the reconstruction of the Palace as a significant step that would further strengthen ties between the people of India and Afghanistan.
In the ceremony, Salahuddin Rabani, the Afghan Foreign Minister, said that Indo-Afghan ties are of significant importance. He stressed that the two countries should stand united against terrorism and extremism.
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