First wheat consignment, India's gift to Afghanistan, says Sushma Swaraj

During the flag off of the first consignment of wheat from India to Afghanistan through Chabahar Port, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Sunday remarked that it is a gift from Indians to Afghans.

EAM Swaraj said, "The wheat that is leaving the Indian shores today, is a gift from the people of India to our Afghan brethren. It is testament to the continued commitment of the government and the people of India to support our Afghan brethren in building a normal, peaceful, prosperous, secure and bright future for themselves."

Swaraj also thanked the Iranian Government for providing assistance in facilitating the movement of this gift through Chabahar Port.

"This shows the convergence between the ancient civilisations of India, Afghanistan and Iran to spur unhindered flow of commerce and trade throughout the region," she said in a press release.

"The people of India, Afghanistan and Iran have been connected through centuries; shared commonalities of art and culture, ideas and knowledge; language and traditions. Today, we are rejuvenating these connects and commonalities. I believe that this is the starting point of our journey to realise the full spectrum of connectivity - from culture to commerce; from traditions to technology; from investments to IT; from services to strategy; and from people to politics, that has been visualised by Prime Minister Modi," Swaraj added.

Swaraj reiterated that India remains committed to work closely with its regional and international partners to bring peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.

The minister also thanked Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani for joining her to flag off the first shipment of wheat today.

The shipment is a part of commitment made by the Indian Government to supply 1.1 million tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan on grant basis.

Six more wheat shipments will be sent to Afghanistan over the next few months.

The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan.