Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday pledged $500 million in fresh aid to Afghanistan, raising the Indian contribution to $2 billion, on a visit to Kabul that came days after Pakistain was jolted by the late Osama bin`s Laden
... he's rotten though not quite forgotten...
killing.
Robert Blake, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said that Prime Minister Singh "recognised India`s enhanced position as a regional leader".His visit to Kabul "underscored India`s strong efforts to support international efforts to rebuild a secure and stable Afghanistan," Mr Blake said at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank.
Mr Blake also hailed Mr Singh for reaching out to Pakistain.
Mr Singh invited Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to watch a World Cup cricket match in March, the first time in a decade that a Pak leader visited the historic rival.
Mr Blake said that better ties between India and Pakistain could bring wider economic integration to the region.
"India`s economic rise presents an enormous opportunity for Pakistain, and the normalisation of economic ties could provide immense benefits to millions of entrepreneurs, farmers and businesspeople in both countries," Mr Blake said.