November 19, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 13, 1423

NEW DELHI, Nov 18: India and Afghanistan on Monday held talks to put in place a preferential trading arrangement and the setting up of transit routes to jack up bilateral economic cooperation, officials here said.

The officials said the issues came up during wide-ranging talks between visiting Afghan Commerce Minister Sayed Mustafa Kazmi and Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha.

Kabul and New Delhi have already exchanged blueprints on establishing a liberal trade regime between the two sides who have forged warm political ties since the ouster of the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban militia from Afghanistan.

“It was felt that the prevailing atmosphere is conducive for trade and business between the two countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said after the Kazmi-Sinha talks.

“Both sides also agreed on the importance of establishing transit routes and creating the necessary supporting infrastructure,” he added.

India, along with Iran and Russia, backed Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance against the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, who were finally routed by a US-led coalition against terrorism late last year.—AFP