New Delhi: Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta says Afghans would not like to see any reduction in India's engagement in that country.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN Deputy Foreign Editor Suhasini Haidar, Spanta reiterated that Afghanistan was a sovereign state and people of Afghanistan would not let Pakistan dictate its foreign policy.
Below is an excerpt of that interview:
Suhasini Haidar: The Prime Minister has indicated in the past that India has been in a sense, shut out or squeezed in Afghanistan in terms of its operations because of pressure from Pakistan.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta: Pakistan has to accept Afghanistan's sovereignty and to the fact that it has friendship and bilateral relationships with other countries and nobody in Afghanistan would support reduction in Indian engagement and its role in reconstruction and supporting capacity building in Afghanistan. This is the desire of Afghan people.
Suhasini Haidar: Equally General Kayani's statement of Afghanistan being part of Pakistan's strategic depth. How do you respond to that.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta: If it is in areas like economic cooperation, trade and transit, then it is okay. Afghanistan can be strategically important to all friends that are ready to work with it. But, to dictate Afghan policy or Afghan polity and think as if there are limitations in Afghan's sovereignty, the proud people of Afghanistan will not allow other countries to think like that.
Suhasini Haidar: In the past few months, India has made a real effort at reaching out with aid to neighbours - billion dollar credit lines to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar etc. Are you discussing a similar grant with Indian officials?
Rangin Dadfar Spanta: Well, eventually more trade, more movement in the region is our dream. We also would like to serve as India's and the region's gateway to Central Asia.
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