India Afghanistan sign MoU for construction of Shahtoot dam

India and Afghanistan have signed an MoU for the construction of Shahtoot Dam in Afghanistan as part of the New Development Partnership between the two countries. The MoU was signed by EAM Jaishankar and Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.

New Delhi: In a major development, India and Afghanistan on Tuesday signed an MoU for the construction of Shahtoot Dam in Afghanistan during a video conferencing.

The MoU was signed by EAM Jaishankar and Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.

The project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region.

This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and the President in June 2016.

Pertinently, the signing of the MoU on Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam is a reflection of India’s strong and long-term commitment towards the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and the enduring partnership between our two countries.

As a part of India's Development Cooperation with Afghanistan, India has completed more than 400 projects covering all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister, in his remarks, highlighted the civilisational relationship between India and Afghanistan and gave an assurance of India's continued support for a peaceful, united, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan.

Both sides maintained that terrorism must be seen as a full ecosystem, not as a series of isolated individuals or groups.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said, "terrorism is a destructive force that threatens the future that you and I and all people of goodwill are trying to bring. We must contain this".

Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that India will stand with Afghanistan and would remain committed, and said that no outside forces will disrupt the harmonic relationship between the two nations.

"We are concerned about the increasing violence in Afghanistan. Innocent citizens, journalists, activists are being targeted. We call for an immediate end to the violence, we support a comprehensive ceasefire," Modi reiterated.

India has so far supported Afghanistan for the development of different sectors in the war-torn country. Most recently, Afghanistan has received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from India, the first vaccines it has received till date.

India had earlier gifted more than 20 MT of Covid-19 medicines to Afghanistan. Notably, India also has extended humanitarian assistance of 75,000 MT of wheat through Chabahar port to strengthen the food security of Afghanistan.