India And China Launch Joint Project To Train Diplomats From Afghanistan

Indian and China have launched a programme for Afghanistan to train its diplomats, Times Of India has reported. The decision to conduct the joint training programme was arrived at the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. This is one of the first joint projects between India and China in relation to Afghanistan.

“I am very happy that today we are chartering a new course with the beginning of a training programme for 10 diplomats from Afghanistan in partnership with China. The seeds for joint cooperation in Afghanistan were sown at the meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of China when they met in Wuhan in April 2018. Today, we see it blooming with the initiation of this training programme. This marks the beginning of what we visualise as a long-term trilateral partnership for the benefit of Afghanistan”, the External Affairs Minister said in a statement posted on the MEA website.

The partnership is likely to annoy Pakistan, which has interests in Afghanistan and also considers China as its key partner.