India today handed over to Afghan authorities a crucial highway built by it in the face of stiff resistance from Taliban, vowing that the collaboration between the two countries in the field of development will not stop.
The 215-km long Delaram-Zaranj highway, a symbol of India's developmental work in the war-ravaged country, was handed over to Afghan authorities by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta. [PTI]
Below, you can see the Zaranj and Delaram on the map:
A total of 135 people (including 6 Indians) laid down their lives in constructing this critical road.
Zaranj is at the Afghanistan-Iran border. On the Iranian side, there is a road link to the Iranian port of Bandar-Abbas. Therefore, this road provides India with an alternative access route to Afghanistan. So far, only the Air route has connected India and Afghanistan with overflight rights dependent on Pakistan's whims and fancies. Pakistan has been denying transit facility to India through its territory for a land route.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment