Afghan vice president in India to enhance security ties

Afghan Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili arrived in India for a three day visit, late Tuesday, aiming to enhance the security ties with the country, government sources said Wednesday. Sources said the main focus of the Afghan vice-president's visit would be to discuss security related issues with India in the wake of NATO led troop pull out from Afghanistan in 2014. Local Business Standard newspaper quoted government official as saying, "This visit is going to be mainly focused on enhanced military cooperation," adding, "the visit is expected to urge the government to help strengthen the Afghan military through an enhanced pact on weaponry, as the country gears up for a transition with the departure of international troops from there in 2014 onwards." Apart from that, the report said the Afghan vice president is also going to push for more Indian investments in Afghanistan in a meeting with India Inc. The Afghan Vice President is on an official visit to India from August 20-22, 2013 upon the invitation of Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, a foreign ministry hand out stated. The Vice President of Afghanistan will be accompanied by a high level ministerial and official delegation from Afghanistan, the ministry stated. Government sources said that Mohammad Karim Khalili was accompanied by Afghan Finance and Economy Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, Higher Education Minister Obaidullah Obaid, and Afghan Army Chief of Staff Sher Mohammad Karimi. The three day visit comes following the visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai during which he handed over a military wish list to the Indian officials. India and Afghanistan have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to India in October 2011. This agreement allows Afghanistan to buy weaponry from India such as aircraft, missiles, and field-guns