BRUSSELS (SW): Gen. John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support Mission and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan has expressed support for the strong support by India to Afghanistan.
Talking to Salam Watandar on the sidelines of NATO’s Foreign Ministers conference in Brussels, he said India has pledged another $ 1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan this year. “They [Indians] built the new parliament building, they constructed the Afghanistan India Friendship Dam, they built roads, they are working with Iran and Afghanistan together on the Cha Bahar Port project, so all of these investments in Afghanistan’s future we think would create more stable and better environment in Afghanistan”, he said.
The U.S General went on to say that all of these investments by India in the Afghan society and the security forces would help create greater stability. “We hope that we are able to continue to see these investments by India in Afghanistan, and that the neighbours will not see this in anyway negative but positive because a stable, prosperous and secured Afghanistan is good for the entire region”, he said.
He also welcomed the Indian government’s move to provide four attack helicopters to Afghanistan. Gen. Nicholson mentioned that the U.S. Administration has plans to provide up to $ 800 million for the Afghan Air Force (AAF) this year that is extremely important. “This would aid a powerful new dimension to the Afghan Air Force and the Afghan Security Forces, which would provide them mobility and offensive fire power around the country”, he added.
The General further said that the U.S. is focused on eliminating global terrorist organisation like the Daesh, Al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network.
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