Afghanistan and India need to take forward the work being done in the various bilateral joint working groups and commissions and the critical areas of attention have to be vaccine cooperation, trade and transit, including developments in Chabahar port and regional connectivity, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said.

Kabul will continue to work with India on trade and economic cooperation regardless of the peace process, Atmar said at an interaction with journalists organised by the Indian Women's Press Corps on Tuesday.

“We will make sure it happens in a more efficient and beneficial manner,” he added.

The Minister said vaccine cooperation has to be an area of primary focus and expressed his gratitude to India for extending help to the country to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regional connectivity and trade and transit would also be areas to be given prominence especially development of the Chabahar port in Iran that will serve as a gateway for trade with Afghanistan.

The Afghan Foreign Minister is on a three-day trip to India and has already met his counterpart S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

During the meeting, Atmar discussed the peace plan of Afghanistan for the success of Afghanistan peace negotiations, per a press release issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Afghanistan after his meeting with Doval. “He said the plan would pave the way for a lasting peace based on the will of the Afghan people and strengthen Afghanistan's role as a bridge for connectivity and cooperation between regional countries and the international community,” the statement said.

Regarding the existence of terrorist groups and networks in the region, Atmar stated that the severance of ties between the Taliban and terrorist outfits was one of the group's commitments and a basic condition for the success of peace talks that can allow the return of the Taliban to political and civil life.