Sunday, August 28 2005 17:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kabul: India yesterday (Aug 27, 2005) offered all possible assistance to Afghanistan in effectively dealing with terrorism and rebuilding the war-ravaged country.

"We have discussed terrorist threat worldwide as also in Afghanistan and in India. There is convergence of views that terrorism poses a threat anywhere and everywhere and we have to deal together," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after their one-to-one and delegation-level talks here.

Singh, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Kabul in 29 years, the last being Indira Gandhi in 1976, said "it is for the Government and people of Afghanistan to indicate what type of assistance they want. We are ready to give it."

On the regrouping of Taliban in Afghanistan, Karzai asserted that terrorist activities would not deter people from participating in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

"Terrorism had come to Afghanistan three-and-a-half years ago. With the help of the international community and the people of Afghanistan, it was defeated and thrown out...but we see continuation of such activities and we feel very sad about it."

Asked which of the two proposed gas pipelines to India Iran-Pakistan or Turkmenistan-Afghanistan route-- would be chosen, the Prime Minister said it was not a question of preference.

"India's needs for commercial energy are increasing at an explosive rate. Our economy is now growing at a rate of seven to eight per cent per annum. There is an enormous unmet demand for commerical energy which is going to increase.

"So, we need both the pipelines from Iran and Pakistan and Turmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan. So, it is not a question and or," Singh said.

Karzai said Afghanistan was "very keen" on participating in SAARC "so as to contribute to it and benefit from it". The Afghan leader said he had raised this issue with Singh during the talks and "was very glad to receive an affirmative and positive response" and added that he had got a similar "positive response" from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf earlier.

"So Afghanistan is keen on SAARC, and to be a contributor as also a receiver in that organisation," he said.