Afghanistan seeks more cooperation with India: Envoy

Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) Afghanistan is keen to expand and widen the business, political and socio-cultural relations with India, the country's ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali said here.

Referring to the long-standing business relations enjoyed by the two countries, Abdali said he was exploring the possibility of promoting city-to-city cooperation such as between New Delhi and Kabul and Mumbai and Kandahar.

The visiting ambassador's remarks came during a meeting with Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan here Tuesday evening.

Abdali said that India and Afghanistan are working on a trilateral agreement with Iran to facilitate trade through Iran's Chabahar Port.

This trilateral trade arrangement would help both India and Afghanistan, he added.

Abdali said Afghanistan would host a trade fair in Mumbai's World Trade Centre in Spetember in collaboration with an Indian industries association as business leaders from India were positive about conducting business with his country.

Lauding India's education system, he said that around 5,000 Afghan students are currently studying in India, with a majority enrolled in University of Pune.

Speaking about Bollywood, he said India and Afghanistan have collaborated in film making in the past and now his country was planning to seek the help of Indian megastar Amitabh Bachchan to help revitalize the Afghan film industry.

Sankaranarayanan expressed hope that the relations between the two countries would further strengthen in the coming years.