Apr 9, 2006, 18:20 GMT
New Delhi - Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in New Delhi Sunday on a five-day state visit aimed at consolidating India-Afghanistan ties.
Karzai and his high-power delegation comprising 10 ministers, ministerial advisors and members of the Afghan National Assembly were scheduled to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday, a statement by India's foreign ministry said.
The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues focusing on security and economic ties.
The recent renewal of violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan's alleged role in providing refuge to Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders are likely to come up during discussions, diplomatic sources said.
Both India and Afghanistan allege Pakistan has been supporting Islamic militants who carry out attacks in their countries. Pakistan, which lies between the two countries, has denied these allegations.
Talks between Afghan and Indian leaders would also focus on development and reconstruction projects undertaken by India in war-torn Afghanistan.
India is one of the major players in Afghanistan's reconstruction and has been building roads, hospitals, schools and the national parliament building. India has pledged about 650 million dollars for reconstruction since Karzai took over at the end of 2001.
The security of more than 2,000 Indian workers in Afghanistan is also likely to come up in discussions. An Indian Border Roads Organization employee working at a highway construction project in Afghanistan was kidnapped and killed by the Taliban in November 2005, while an Indian engineer died in a bomb blast in February this year.
Karzai is also scheduled to attend a business meeting in New Delhi Monday organized by India's chambers of commerce and industry where he is expected to talk about business opportunities in Afghanistan, especially in infrastructure.
Karzai's five-day trip would include a visit to the southern city of Hyderabad to tour information-technology centres and a rural development project.
The Afghan president will be meeting India's President APJ Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of India's ruling United Progressive Alliance.
The Afghan president has cancelled an earlier planned two-day personal visit to the northern Indian hill town of Shimla where he was a student in the early 1980s, due to lack of time, an Afghanistan embassy official in New Delhi said.
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