Afghanistan hails India for easing visa policy

Afghanistan has welcomed easing of visa regime by India for Afghan travellers and thanked the Narendra Modi government for acting upon its repeated requests to further facilitate people-to-people contacts between the two countries under the key provisions of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2011.
"We are delighted by the announcement of a liberal visa policy for Afghans as a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm commitment to further deepening the ancient and strategic ties between Afghanistan and India," Afghan Ambassador here Shaida M Abdali said.
In a relief to hundreds of visiting Afghans, India has announced a new liberal visa policy on Monday for the citizens of the war-ravaged country that include allowing up to two years stay and exemption from reporting to police by the senior citizens and children.

The new visa policy for Afghanistan nationals was being introduced on humanitarian grounds for two years.
In addition to thousands of Afghans residing in India, there are more than 10,000 Afghan students studying across India, while hundreds of Afghans daily visit India for business and medical tourism and the new visa policy will facilitate their travel to and stay in India, a release from the Afghanistan embassy said here.