Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Ahead of the London conference on Afghanistan next week, British High Commissioner Richard Stagg Friday lauded India’s reconstruction efforts in the strife-torn country and said the world could learn “some lessons” from it.
“India’s approach is probably what the rest of the world needs. We could learn some lessons from India,” the British envoy here said while outlining the agenda of the London conference set for Jan 28.

Lauding India’s multifarious reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, Stagg said the conference will be a good opportunity for New Delhi to showcase its role in rebuilding that country.

“It’s an opportunity for External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to showcase what India is doing,” he said.

“India’s effort is underknown and undervalued. There is very little awareness about India’s role,” he said.

Asked about any request by Western countries to India to train the Afghan National Army, the envoy said although India’s training role is needed, no such request was made.

India’s focus on the civilian sphere has been very effective, he said.

Krishna will represent India at the London conference on Afghanistan, which is co-hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The envoy also stressed that India can play an important role in any regional framework - several ideas are being discussed - to stabilising Afghanistan.

The British envoy’s remarks come close on the heels of a new opinion poll, commissioned by by BBC, ABC and German TV ARD, in which Afghans rated India as the most favourable foreign country in Afghanistan and rejected a role for Pakistan in their country.

India has pledged $1.3 billion for a wide array of reconstruction activities ranging from education to building roads, bridges, power stations to digging tubewells, and grassroot development projects.

India is the largest regional donor to the strife-torn country