6 things to know about the India-Afghanistan relationship

India on Sunday beat Afghanistan 2-1 to lift the South Asian Football Federation Cup. India, it seems, went into the match with the intent of avenging their 2-0 loss to the Afghan side in 2013.

While the two sides bitterly fought for the cup, relations between the two nations are anything but bitter.

The growth of sporting ties between the two nations has gone hand-in-hand with the warming of diplomatic and trade relations.

Over the past decade and a half, India and Afghanistan have seen their ties deepening — the process started with the Taliban government getting toppled in December 2001.

The growing ties have not sat well with all actors in the region. There have been several attacks on Indian assets in the country. The Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, a northern Afghan city, came under attack on Sunday. 

 

Another attack, planned to be carried out on India’s consulate in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad during Prime Minister Modi's vsist to the country, was foiled by Afghanistan’s intelligence service according to an Indian Express report. 

Here are 6 things to know about the India-Afghanistan relations:

1) Bilateral trade

India’s bilateral trade with Afghanistan stood at $684.47 million in 2014-15, an increase of 0.20 per cent over $683.10 million a year earlier, and 20.41 per cent higher than $568.44 million in 2010-11. India’s exports to Afghanistan in 2014-15 stood at $ 422.56 million, while its imports from that country were worth $261.91 million. Despite the lack of direct land access, India is the second-largest destination for Afghan exports.

2) Defence

India, according to an International Business Times report, delivered three Russia-made Mi-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan in December last year. Reports suggest it is to deliver an additional helicopter soon.

3) Parliament building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on December 25 inaugurated the newly built Afghan Parliament building. India has constructed the new building at a cost of about $90 million, as a sign of friendship.

4) ‘Heart of Asia’ conference

According to an Indian Express report, India will host the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference on Afghanistan this year. The previous iteration of the meet was held in Pakistan in December last year. The conference saw India and Pakistan attempt to sort out their strategic concerns regarding Afghanistan. Pakistan, in particular, has been opposed to any growth in Indian influence in the the country and views Afghanistan as essential for achieving strategic depth. Despite India's requests for direct land access to Afghanistan, Pakistan has refused to provide such facility over its strategic concerns. Commenting on the alternate routes India could use to access Afghanistan in the absence of direct land access, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the gathered ministers: “India is also working with Afghanistan and Iran to develop trilateral transit. Participation in development of Chahbahar will augment our connectivity with Afghanistan and beyond.”
 

5) India’s role

Commenting on India-Afghanistan ties, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby had in August last year said: “India has played a constructive role over several past years inside Afghanistan.” Kirby’s statement had come as he urged other nations like China to do the same. India has so far given financial assistance worth over $2 billion to Afghanistan and has been involved in massive developmental efforts in the war-torn country.

6) A long history

During the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-89), India was the only South Asian nation to recognise the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. India also provided humanitarian aid to then Afghan President Najibullah's government. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet forces, India continued to provide Najibullah's government with humanitarian aid.