'DNA is one': Afghan minister lauds India's hospitality, says received 'warm welcome' from govt

Afghanistan's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mawlawi Attaullah Omari, has expressed gratitude to India for the warm welcome extended to him and stressed the importance of modernising Afghanistan's agriculture-driven economy.

Speaking at the India-Afghanistan Trade Opportunities Industry Interactive Session organised by PHDCCI under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Omari said the current Afghan administration is focused on unifying the country's development efforts and is actively seeking international cooperation to promote economic growth and prosperity.

"This is my first trip to India. From the very first day I landed in India, I received a warm welcome from the Indian government, the Minister of External Affairs, and everyone I met. It feels as if I am among my own people...It feels like our own country, and as you mentioned, our DNA is one so that is the idea," he said.

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His remarks came a day after India and Afghanistan reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations during the fourth round of the India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting held in New Delhi.

He called Indian hospitality a beacon of hope for Afghanis and said at the press conference, "This warm welcome which we received is like hope for people of Afghanistan and their betterment... 80 per cent of our population is involved in lifestock, agriculture, and irrigation it is now the time to modernise them with new technology."

He noted that the current Afghan administration is working to unify the country's development efforts and is actively seeking foreign cooperation to drive prosperity.

According to the MEA, both sides discussed cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including humanitarian assistance, development partnership, food security, healthcare, capacity building, education, sports, trade, visas and connectivity.

India also reaffirmed its continued commitment to supporting Afghanistan's development and strengthening bilateral engagement across these areas.

India and Afghanistan review ties

India and Afghanistan on Thursday reviewed the full spectrum of their bilateral relationship during the fourth round of the India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting held in the national capital.

The meeting was co-chaired by M Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Shuaib Baryalai, Director General of the First Political Division in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two sides discussed cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including humanitarian assistance, development partnership, food security, healthcare, capacity building, education, sports, trade, visa facilitation and connectivity.