India congratulates Hamid Karzai on re-election

India today congratulated Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his re-election to office and said it looked forward to partnering Afghanistan as it continued the process of its stabilisation, reconstruction and development.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs also said that the international community needed to reiterate its long-term commitment to ensuring security and development in Afghanistan, and to stand steadfast against the challenge posed by the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, which it said threatened the stability of Afghanistan and that of the world as a whole.

"India on its part stands fully committed to assisting the Government and people of Afghanistan as they build a pluralistic, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan," the statement added.

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission had yesterday declared President Karzai re-elected after the withdrawal of his challenger Abdullah Abdullah over the weekend.

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