India calls for end to external interference in Afghanistan

New Delhi: India today called for end to external interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan so as to end its sufferenigs.
”India believes in a strong, independent, sovereign, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours,” External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said while speaking at the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan: Security and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia”. Mr Krishna emphasised that reconciliation on the basis of the Constitution of Afghanistan should be an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-driven process. ”Recent history has shown that an end to Afghanistan’s suffering requires an end to external interference in its internal affairs. This Conference is addressing issues including safe havens and sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan’s borders,” said Mr Krishna in his speech, text of which was released by the Ministry of External Affairs here.Mr Krishna was also of the view that the regional countries had not been given adequate importance in the efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan. Referring to the proposed drawdown of NATO-ISAF forces in Afghanistan, he said it was evident that the country’s regional neighbours and friends could work with the wider international community to provide Afghanistan a helping hand to assist it in the transition and beyond. ”Afghanistan needs our assistance to build its capacity to tackle the critical challenges of terrorism including suicide terrorism, the religious extremism that fuels it, and the drug trafficking that sustains it,” he said.