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India, Russia to revive arms maintenance factory in Afghanistan
Tue Dec 10 2013,
India and Russia have decided to collaborate in reviving an arms maintenance factory in Afghanistan, as the war-torn country gets ready for the security transition in 2014 in the wake of US-led coalition's troop withdrawal.
Ahead of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's visit from December 12 to 15, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali confirmed the development Monday. "India and Russia will jointly help revive the maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details," he said.
This assumes importance since India's involvement in the security needs of Afghanistan is viewed with suspicion by Pakistan.
Abdali, who was deputy national security advisor in Hamid Karzai government, said Indians will also be needed for training officers in a new institute in Afghanistan.
"We will need about 120 officers for the training facility, and Indians can pitch in," he said.
The envoy said about 1,400 Afghan officers have been trained in India in the last 10 years since 2003. Right now, he said, there are about 350 officers undergoing training in Indian academies.
Karzai will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on December 13.
"The two sides will examine necessary efforts to be undertaken by both sides to ensure the protection of our shared national security interests in the coming months and years, regardless of who leads our security and defence cooperation," he said.
Karzai, during his three-day visit, will deliver a lecture to Indian parliamentarians in Delhi and will travel to Pune, where he will follow up on his earlier meetings with the Indian business leaders in May 2013 and in November 2012, and meet members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci).
He will also deliver a keynote address at an educational institute in Pune, where he will address more than 700 international students on the topic of 'Securing the future through Education'.
India, Russia to revive arms maintenance factory in Afghanistan - Indian Express
