News / Middle East

Indian Foreign Minister Warns of Outside Interference in Afghanistan

Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna speaks during a press conference in Kabul, 09 Jan 2011
Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna speaks during a press conference in Kabul, 09 Jan 2011
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India's foreign minister, S.M. Krishna, is on his second and last day of an official visit to Afghanistan where on Sunday he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss relations between their two countries.

Krishna has also held extensive talks with his Afghan counterpart, Zalmai Rassoul.  In comments later to reporters, Krishna warned that external interference could adversely affect Afghan reconciliation efforts and be detrimental to the future of a "democratic, stable, pluralistic and prosperous Afghanistan."

The remarks are seen as a warning to Pakistan. Pakistan's northwest tribal region has become a stronghold for Taliban-supported insurgents who seek to topple the Karzai government and drive NATO forces out of Afghanistan with repeated attacks.

One member of the NATO mission was killed Sunday by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

The Associated Press says the soldier killed in Helmand province was part of the Danish contingent to the NATO force.

In another development, a Turkish engineer kidnapped in Afghanistan last year has been released.  He was identified as Coskun Caloglu, who was seized in the southwestern province of Nimroz.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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