Establishment of Relations | 1950 |
Brief History | Modern India’s diplomatic ties with Afghanistan were officially instituted in 1950 with the signing of five-year Treaty of Friendship between two countries. But relations between the people of these countries are civilizational, and based on extensive cultural exchange. The iconic short story “Kabuliwallah” by Tagore and the interpretations on the land beyond mountains and imaginations have shaped the relations between two countries from the past to the present. “Bound by thousand ties and million memories”, the relations between the two countries go beyond the traditionally state-to-state relations or government. History, culture, civilization and people to people contact have created commonalities thus making the past history the guide to the future. In modern times, India-Afghanistan relations have been further strengthened by the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which was signed between the two countries in October 2011.[i] Bilaterally, India has played significant role in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. India’s extensive development assistance program, which now stands at more than USD 3 billion, is a strong signal for its abiding commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in Afghanistan during this critical period of security and governance transition. |
National Leaders of India | Head of State: President Shri Ram Nath Kovind[ii] Head of Government: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi[iii] |
National Leaders of Afghanistan | Head of State: President H.E.Mohammad Ashraf Ghani[iv] Chief Executive Officer and Head of the Council of Ministers: Dr Abdullah Abdullah[v] |
Key Visits to Afghanistan (President, VP, PM) | Visit of Prime Minister to Afghanistan (June 4, 2016)[vi] Visit of Prime Minister to Afghanistan (December 24, 2015)[vii] |
Key Visits to India | President’s Visits Working Visit of President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India (October 24, 2017)[viii] Working Visit of President of Afghanistan to India (September 14-15, 2016)[ix] State Visit of President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India (April 27-29, 2015)[x] Vice President’s Visits Visit of Second Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India (December 9-13, 2017)[xi] Chief Executive’s Visit’s Visit of Chief Executive of Afghanistan to India (September 27-29, 2017)[xii] Visit of Chief Executive Officer and Head of the Council of the Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India (31st January to 4thFebruary 2016 )[xiii] |
Main Treaties and Agreements and Dialogues | Treaty of Friendship 1950 India- Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement 2011 5 agreements were signed during the period from February 2014 to February 2019 |
MoUs | 3 MoUs were signed during the period from February 2014 to February 2019 |
Working Groups | Joint Working Group on Political and Security Consultations[xiv] Joint Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation[xv] Joint Working Group on Capacity Development and Education[xvi] Joint Working Group on Social, Cultural and Civil Society[xvii] Joint Working Group on Development Cooperation[xviii] Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce[xix] |
Bilateral Trade | Total Trade 2014-15: US$ 684.47 Million 2015-16: US$ 834.50 Million 2016-17: US$ 799.24 Million 2017-18: US$ 1,143.53 Million 2018-19: US$ 1,150.89 Million[xx] |
Grants/Loans/Aid | Aid Extended to Afghanistan as per Union Budget of India from 2008-2017. 2008-09: ₹442.05 Crores[xxi] 2009-10: ₹223.40 Crores[xxii] 2010-11: ₹349.75 Crores[xxiii] 2011-12: ₹326.61 Crores[xxiv] 2012-13: ₹490.96 Crores[xxv] 2013-14: ₹585.31 Crores[xxvi] 2014-15: ₹723.52 Crores[xxvii] 2015-16: ₹880.44 Crores[xxviii] 2016-17: ₹236.02 Crores[xxix] 2017-18: ₹365.96 Crores[xxx] 2018-19: ₹ 325.00 Crores[xxxi] 2019-20: ₹ 325.00 Crores[xxxii] |
Ongoing Negotiations | None. |
Disputes | None. |
Key Officials | Minister Of External Affairs India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar[xxxiii] Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan H.E. Mr. Vinay Kumar[xxxiv] JS[PAI], Ministry of External Affairs Shri. Deepak Mittal[xxxv] Minister of Foreign Affairs Afghanistan H.E. Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani[xxxvi] Afghan Chargé d’ Affaires to India Chargé d’ Affaires Mohammad Naim Taher Qaderi[xxxvii] |
Last Updated on July 3, 2019.
[i] http://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Bilateral_Brief_on_Afghanistan_December_31_2018.pdf
[ii] https://presidentofindia.nic.in/index.htm
[iii][iii] https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/#
[iv] https://president.gov.af/en/page/8262/8263
[v] http://ceo.gov.af/en/page/chief-executive-officer/biography
[vi] https://mea.gov.in/outgoing-visit-info.htm?2/885/Visit+of+Prime+Minister+to+Afghanistan+June+4+2016
[vii] https://mea.gov.in/outgoing-visit-info.htm?2/838/Visit+of+Prime+Minister+to+Afghanistan+December+25+2015
[viii] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/918/Working+Visit+of+President+of+Afghanistan+to+India+September+1415+2016
[ix] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/918/Working+Visit+of+President+of+Afghanistan+to+India+September+1415+2016
[x] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/769/State+Visit+of+President+of+Islamic+Republic+of+Afghanistan+to+India+April+2729+2015
[xi] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/1039/Visit+of+Second+Vice+President+of+the+Islamic+Republic+of+Afghanistan+to+India+December+913+2017
[xii] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/1007/Visit+of+Chief+Executive+of+Afghanistan+to+India+September+2729+201
[xiii] https://mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-info.htm?1/845/Visit+of+Chief+Executive+Officer+and+Head+of+the+Council+of+the+Ministers+of+the+Islamic+Republic+of+Afghanistan+to+India+31st+January+to+4th+February+2016
[xiv] https://eoi.gov.in/kabul/?pdf4644?000
[xv] Ibid.
[xvi] Ibid.
[xvii] Ibid.
[xviii] http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Bilateral_Brief_on_Afghanistan_December_31_2018.pdf
[xix] Ibid.
[xx] https://commerce-app.gov.in/eidb/iecnt.asp
[xxi] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget_archive/ub2010-11/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxii] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2011-2012/ub2011-12/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxiii] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2012-2013/ub2012-13/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxiv] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2013-2014/ub2013-14/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxv] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2014-2015/ub2014-15/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxvi] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2015-2016/ub2015-16/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxvii] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2016-2017/ub2016-17/eb/stat11.pdf
[xxviii] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2017-2018/ub2017-18/eb/stat20.pdf
[xxix] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2018-2019/ub2018-19/eb/stat20.pdf
[xxx] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20(I)/ub2019-20/eb/stat20.pdf
[xxxi] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20(I)/ub2019-20/eb/stat20.pdf
[xxxii] https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20(I)/ub2019-20/eb/stat20.pdf
[xxxiii] https://mea.gov.in/eam.htm
[xxxiv] https://eoi.gov.in/kabul/?6878?000
[xxxv] PAI [Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iran] Division (All matters relating to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) https://www.mea.gov.in/divisions.htm
[xxxvi] https://www.mfa.gov.af/minister-of-foreign-affairs/biography.html