NEW DELHI, April 10 (Xinhua) -- India on Monday pledged 50 million U.S. dollars more for the

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) whispers to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) during a press conference in New Delhi, April 10, 2006. (Photo: Xinhua)

reconstruction of strife-torn Afghanistan as Afghan President Hamid Karzai is touring the South Asian country.

    The additional assistance takes India's total contribution to 650 million U.S. dollars for Afghanistan's reconstruction in a slew of projects ranging from roads and infrastructure to grass-roots development, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

    During their meeting, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Karzai discussed the whole range of bilateral and regional issues,including ways to strengthen cooperation in fighting terrorism and boosting stability in the region.

    "We discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and expressed concern at the increased terrorist activities in some parts of the country," Singh was quoted as saying at a joint press conference with Karzai.

    During their talks, Karzai expressed his gratitude to India for"going out of its way to help us in rebuilding lives in Afghanistan and in strengthening infrastructure."

    He also thanked India for facilitating Afghanistan's entry into the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Afghanistan will be admitted as the seven-nation grouping's eighth member at its summit in New Delhi early next year.

    Singh again asked Karzai to use his "good offices" with Pakistan to push for overland transit rights for Indians goods through its territory -- a step that will connect South Asia to Central Asia and promote greater prosperity in the region, Indo-Asian News said.

    Karizai said Afghanistan can become a hub for launching products in Central Asia.

    After the talks, two accords were signed regarding exchanges inthe field of education and rural development. Another memorandum of agreement was signed between the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Afghanistan National Standardization Authority. Enditem