India doesn't send armed forces abroad except under UN peacekeeping: Sources on Trump

India firmly believes in the critical role that developmental assistance can play in transforming human lives and it does not send its armed forces abroad except under the specific mandate of UN peacekeeping operations, sources told ANI on Thursday.

India plays a significant role as a development partner of Afghanistan and the partnership is built on the specific needs and requirements worked out with the Afghanistan government, added the sources, saying that "it is aimed at the welfare of the people of Afghanistan and for a tangible improvement in the lives of its people. India seeks to build capacities and capabilities of Afghan nationals and its institutions for governance and delivery of public service, develop socio-economic infrastructure, secure lives and promote livelihood."

This comes after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funding a library in Afghanistan, suggesting it was of no use.

Trump brought up India's aid during a press appearance at a Cabinet meeting as he defended his push for the United States to invest less overseas.

While stating that he got along with Prime Minister Modi, Trump said the former was "constantly telling me he built a library in Afghanistan."

"You know what that is? That's like five hours of what we spend, and we are supposed to say, 'Oh, thank you for the library.' I don't know who is using it in Afghanistan," the US President said.

New Delhi has given development assistance exceeding USD 3 billion to Kabul and contributed to the construction of a 218 km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating movement of goods and services to the Iranian border.

The India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) has an installed capacity of 42 MW and supplies water for irrigating 75,000 hectares of land. Since inauguration in 2016, the project has been generating electricity and releasing water for irrigation.

Moreover, the new Afghan Parliament building, constructed with Indian support, is a symbol of the democratic traditions that the two nations share.

More than 3,500 Afghan nationals are undergoing various training programmes in India. Moreover, in an effort to improve connectivity, a direct air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan was established in 2017.

India has also supplied 1.1 million metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance.