Issue of connectivity with Afghanistan important for India: Arun Jaitley

He said, 'The focus area for India is developing infrastructure with housing and skill development also on agenda'

Strengthening connectivity with Afghanistan was a core issue in the multilateral deliberations held at the sixth ministerial Heart of Asia conference here, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today.

He said the Amritsar Declaration was unanimously adopted at the Sixth Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, which concluded today.

For India, he said, the issue of connectivity for Afghanistan was also important.

"India is open for developing connectivity in Afghanistan. The focus area for India is developing infrastructure. Housing and skill development are also on our agenda," he said.

The Amritsar Declaration stated that Afghanistan can act as a natural land bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration in the Heart of Asia region.

"On India's part, we are also engaged bilaterally with Afghanistan to upgrade our connectivity linkages with the aim of making Afghanistan, in the words of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a geography of peace," Jaitley said.

With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj indisposed, Jaitley, who was the co-chair of the conference, represented India.

Batting for the promoting land trade route from Amritsar, bordering Pakistan, he said, "The choice of Amritsar as the venue for the conference was a deliberate one intended to highlight the immense potential for regional connectivity and the benefits that it can bring to landlocked Afghanistan.