NEW DELHI, May 20 (Xinhuanet) -- After a gap of three years, the
first flight from Kabul to Amritsar landed at the Rajasansi
International Airport in the north India town Monday, raising
hopes of resumption of flourishing trade between India and
Afghanistan.
   R. M. Alami, Technical Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation of
Ariana Aghan Airlines, arrived in Amritsar with his nine-member
team to an affectionate welcome.
   The air link between Kabul and Amritsar, which began in 1956,
was suspended in August 1999 following U.N. sanctions against a
Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
   Alami expressed the hope that resumption of Kabul- Amritsar
flight would help revive the sagging trade between India and
Afghanistan and enable Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan to visit
their relatives in India.
   Ajit Mehra, director of Indian Airlines said disruption of
Amritsar-Kabul flights had brought to a halt the soaring trade in
tea worth 5 billion ruppes (103 million U.S. dollars) between the
two countries.
   "Now with the resumption of the flights, the trade would be
back on track," he added.  Enditem