India has executed more than 500 projects in Afghanistan's 34 provinces

India and Afghanistan have been engaged in a development partnership that has resulted in more than 500 projects being carried out in each of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

These include projects in the crucial sectors of power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture, and capacity building, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan stated in a written reply to a question on the issue.

According to Muraleedharan, the vast majority of the projects the Indian government had committed to in Afghanistan have been completed and handed over.

In October 2011, India and Afghanistan inked a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). The agreement between the two parties calls for support to help rebuild Afghanistan's institutions and infrastructure, educational and technical aid to redevelop Afghan capacity in various fields, boosting investment in Afghanistan's natural assets, and supplying duty-free entry to the Indian market for Afghanistan's exports.

In his reply, MoS Muraleedharan highlighted the fact that India and Afghanistan have shared historical and cultural links.

"Our special relationship with the Afghan people and the UNSC Resolution 2593 would continue to guide India’s approach on Afghanistan. We remain steadfast in our commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan," he said.

He added that India has already sent out multiple shipments of humanitarian aid that included 40,000 metric tons of wheat, 50 tons of medications, 500,000 doses of the COVID vaccine, winter clothes, and 28 tons of aid for disaster relief.