President accepts credentials of new Afghanistan ambassador to India, hails 'close ties'

President Ram Nath Kovind on March 18 accepted the credentials of Farid Mamundzay as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India. President Kovind welcomed the newly appointed envoy and conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure. Further, the President acknowledged that the "close ties between the two countries derived its strength from people to people contact."

In the same ceremony, the Ambassador/High Commissioner from the Republic of Fiji, Dominican Republic the Cooperative Republic of Guyana also presented their credentials to the President. "Speaking on the occasion, the President conveyed his good wishes to the envoys on their appointment. He said that India enjoys warm and friendly relations with all these four countries and that our ties were deeply rooted in a common vision of peace and prosperity. He also thanked their Governments for supporting India’s candidature for the non-permanent seat of UN Security Council for the term 2021-22," a release from the President's Secretariat read.

President Kovind noted that "India has been at the forefront in the global efforts to forge a decisive and coordinated response to the COVID-19 to ensure our collective health and economic well-being. He further stated that under Government of India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative, highly affordable vaccines made in India have already reached several countries, re-enforcing our reputation as "Pharmacy of the World”.

Kovind accepts Afghan ambassador's credentials

Later, Mamundzay took to Twitter and said that 'it is an honour' for him to take charge as the seventh Afghan Ambassador to India in the past 25 years. He shared pictures of the virtual ceremony where President Kovind accepted his credentials via video conference. Further, he said, "privilege to begin my tenure with the aim to further strengthen our warm and cordial relations. The President referred to Indo-Afghan ties as “deeply rooted” & with a common vision for peace and prosperity."

President Kovind, while accepting the credentials of Afghan ambassador, alluded to close ties between the two countries. "He called Afghanistan an important strategic partner and a valued neighbour and underlined the two countries' common objective of for peace and prosperity," a release from the Afghan Embassy India read. The President also highlighted how the two countries fought colonialism in the past together and "combating terrorism at present."

The release further mentioned that Ambassador Mamundzay thanked India for its 'generous contribution', especially for the half-million COVID-19 vaccine doses. He further affirmed his commitment to "take Indo-Afghan bilateral relations to new heights." During the ceremony, President Kovind also highlighted that India's Vaccine Maitri initiative is already providing highly affordable vaccines to several countries.

"Ambassador Mamundzay conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President of Afghanistan to the President of India. Ambassador Mamundzay in his remark noted that the two countries have shared a common history, tradition, values and a common vision for the emergence of a stable, more secure and prosperous region. He hoped for joint efforts by India and Afghanistan on issues related to regional peace and stability," the release read.