Thursday, February 24 2005 09:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Afghanistan yesterday (Feb 23, 2005) pledged to pursue with Pakistan the possibility of establishing a trade corridor to enable Indian exports to reach the war-ravaged country transiting through it.

Visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai during talks with External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said that he had taken up this issue with Pakistan and would push it further, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

The two sides "reviewed positively" India-Afghanistan relations. Karzai expressed interest in getting more Indian teachers and doctors to Afghanistan as well as more vocational training.

Karzai, who will hold wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Feb 24, 2005), also sought Indian expertise in establishing a tele-medicine project for Afghanistan which, he said, would be most useful in view of the difficult terrain of that country.

Afghan Health Minister Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimi is likely to attend an international conference on this project in New Delhi in March.

During the 40-minute meeting, Singh, who had met the Afghan President in Kabul last week, briefed him of his visit to Pakistan as also the discussions held in Delhi with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

On a three-day visit, Karzai, who is leading a high-level delegation including eight Cabinet Ministers, was warmly received at Delhi airport by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.