With India raising concern over Pakistans increasing involvement in Afghanistans transition process,President Hamid Karzai on Sunday assured visiting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that his government will not make any move that is detrimental to New Delhis interest. Karzai sought to allay Indias concerns during his meeting with Krishna,who is here on a two-day visit. The Afghan President assured Krishna that India was uppermost on his governments priorities and appreciated New Delhis contribution to the post-war reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in his country. He said the Afghan government would not act in any way that is detrimental to Indias interests,official sources said. Besides Karzai,Krishna also met his Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rasool,National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta and former president Burhanuddin Rabbani,who recently led an Afghan delegation to Pakistan to hold discussions over the peace process. During the Afghan delegations meetings with the top Pakistani leadership,the two countries decided to set up a high-powered joint consultative commission to take forward the peace process in Afghanistan. Earlier,addressing a joint press conference with Rasool,Krishna had said that any external interference in the transition process of Afghanistan will be detrimental to both its success and the future of the people of Afghanistan,though he did not directly name Pakistan. Rasool,on his part said,that the peace process cannot succeed without being led by the Afghan people and noted that the process was fully controlled by it. Any external interference in the reintegration process would be detrimental to its success and for the future of democratic,stable,pluralistic and prosperous Afghanistan, Krishna said. The External Affairs Minister also asserted that despite security concerns,India will continue to provide developmental assistance as long as the Afghan government wants. He also noted that Afghanistan government has assured India of full security. Apart from discussing long-term projects,India announced establishment of a course in Pashtun and Deri languages in Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and the export of 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline,the transition of the countrys security apparatus to Afghan forces,and reintegration and reconciliation process also came up for discussion. Before winding up his visit,Krishna also addressed the Indian embassy officials and staff at the heavily-fortified mission. I salute you, he said,commending their work in difficult circumstances. Krishna had on Saturday met First Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili and former Speaker of the House of the People Mohammmad Yonus Qanooni. This is first high-level meeting between New Delhi and Kabul after the last months US review of the situation in Afghanistan.
