Chanakyaa
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Kabul: A warm hug from President Ashraf Ghani set the tone for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daylong visit to Kabul where he will inaugurate the country's new Parliament complex built by India. The visit - PM Modi's first to Afghanistan since taking office - was not officially announced for security reasons, with specific threats against Indian targets. There were recent reports of an attack being foiled.
Here are the latest developments:
- "A meeting between friends," a tweet from the Prime Minister's Office said as Mr Modi was welcomed by President Ghani at the Presidential Palace. The two leaders held delegation-level and are expected to issue a joint statement after the meeting.
- PM Modi, who arrived early this morning from Moscow after a two-day visit to Russia, will also meet Afghanistan's Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and former President Hamid Karzai.
- Later, PM Modi will address a joint session of the two Afghan Houses in the new Parliament building along with President Ghani.
- The Parliament building project, which was initially conceived at a cost of USD 45 million (Rs. 296 crore), was started by India in 2007 as a mark of friendship and cooperation to help rebuild war-torn Afghanistan. The complex was last estimated to cost Rs. 710 crore in 2008.
- The PM's visit comes just two days after India delivered three of four Russian Mi-25 helicopter gunships to Afghanistan. The fourth, going through overhaul, will be delivered in a month.
- The transfer marks a significant shift in New Delhi's policy - this is the first time India has transferred helicopter gunships or lethal weapons to any country.
- India has invested around USD two billion in aid and reconstruction in Afghanistan and trained scores of officers in that country.
- Afghanistan's new parliament building was due to have been completed in November 2011 and has missed at least three completion deadlines over the last four years.
- Situated between two historic landmarks, the King's Palace "Darulaman" and the Queen's Palace, the building has elements of Mughal and modern architecture and has Asia's largest dome as its key feature.
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