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Pakistan welcomes Indian aid to Afghanistan:UK envoy.
Sachin Parashar, TNN | Dec 3, 2011, 06.20AM IST
NEW DELHI: Britain may have been asked by Pakistan to mediate with the US in the wake of the killing of its 24 soldiers by NATO forces, but on Friday UK special AfPak envoy Mark Sedwill went a step further in extolling Pakistan when he stated that Islamabad even welcomes all Indian civilian developmental assistance to Afghanistan.
On a day-long visit to Delhi ahead of the crucial Bonn conference on Afghanistan, Sedwill said he had got that sense from his interaction with Pakistani officials. "Pakistanis talk about regional economic integration and welcome Indian developmental assistance to Afghanistan," Sedwill told reporters.
"The distinction which they seek to make is between civilian and military support," he added. When it was pointed to him that Pakistani agencies were found involved in terror strikes at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, he said this may not be the same as targeting India's economic assistance to Afghanistan.
Indian officials maintain Pakistan has rarely sought to make such a distinction between military and civilian Indian aid to Afghanistan and, on the contrary, has not shied away from even using violence to curb Indian activities in the Islamic country.
Sedwill was in Delhi to discuss the upcoming Bonn conference, where India will be represented by foreign minister S M Krishna. While Krishna had said in the Istanbul conference earlier this year that the international community had not given enough importance to the role of regional countries in finding a long-term solution to Afghanistan, Sedwill suggested this may no longer be a valid argument.
"I suppose one could argue like that before the London conference in 2010, but since then there has been an acknowledgment that the region has a critical role to play and there is genuine agreement among regional countries on the need for stability," said Sedwill.
Pakistan has persisted with its threat to boycott the Bonn conference to protest the killing of its soldiers by NATO and while Sedwill described the move as regrettable, he emphasized that Pakistan's absence may not undermine the summit as is being speculated. "Pakistan's absence will be unfortunate, but the fact is that Bonn is about broader international commitments made to Kabul," he said.
Ahead of the Bonn meet, UK special AfPak envoy Mark Sedwill said he got this sense from his interactions with Pakistani officials, who are keen on regional and economic integration.
Pakistan welcomes Indian aid to Afghanistan: UK envoy - The Times of India
Sachin Parashar, TNN | Dec 3, 2011, 06.20AM IST
NEW DELHI: Britain may have been asked by Pakistan to mediate with the US in the wake of the killing of its 24 soldiers by NATO forces, but on Friday UK special AfPak envoy Mark Sedwill went a step further in extolling Pakistan when he stated that Islamabad even welcomes all Indian civilian developmental assistance to Afghanistan.
On a day-long visit to Delhi ahead of the crucial Bonn conference on Afghanistan, Sedwill said he had got that sense from his interaction with Pakistani officials. "Pakistanis talk about regional economic integration and welcome Indian developmental assistance to Afghanistan," Sedwill told reporters.
"The distinction which they seek to make is between civilian and military support," he added. When it was pointed to him that Pakistani agencies were found involved in terror strikes at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, he said this may not be the same as targeting India's economic assistance to Afghanistan.
Indian officials maintain Pakistan has rarely sought to make such a distinction between military and civilian Indian aid to Afghanistan and, on the contrary, has not shied away from even using violence to curb Indian activities in the Islamic country.
Sedwill was in Delhi to discuss the upcoming Bonn conference, where India will be represented by foreign minister S M Krishna. While Krishna had said in the Istanbul conference earlier this year that the international community had not given enough importance to the role of regional countries in finding a long-term solution to Afghanistan, Sedwill suggested this may no longer be a valid argument.
"I suppose one could argue like that before the London conference in 2010, but since then there has been an acknowledgment that the region has a critical role to play and there is genuine agreement among regional countries on the need for stability," said Sedwill.
Pakistan has persisted with its threat to boycott the Bonn conference to protest the killing of its soldiers by NATO and while Sedwill described the move as regrettable, he emphasized that Pakistan's absence may not undermine the summit as is being speculated. "Pakistan's absence will be unfortunate, but the fact is that Bonn is about broader international commitments made to Kabul," he said.
Ahead of the Bonn meet, UK special AfPak envoy Mark Sedwill said he got this sense from his interactions with Pakistani officials, who are keen on regional and economic integration.
Pakistan welcomes Indian aid to Afghanistan: UK envoy - The Times of India
