NEW DELHI - The Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee, on Wednesday said that a sovereign and independent Afghanistan was in India's strategic interest.

"India considers a sovereign, independent, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan to be in India's strategic interest," Mukherjee said while welcoming second Vice President of Afghanistan Karim Khalili, who had called upon the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's house) in New Delhi.

The Indian president said India was committed to the Strategic Partnership Agreement and to assisting Afghanistan in the "critical period of transition, development and nation building." India is committed to Afghanistan at the political and strategic level well beyond 2014 when international forces are scheduled to depart, Mukherjee said.

He also said India supports an all-Afghan-owned, Afghan-led and Afghan-controlled reconciliation process.

The Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed between Afghanistan and India during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to India in October 2011. This agreement allows Afghanistan to buy military weaponry from India such as aircraft, missiles and field-guns.

Mukherjee noted that Afghanistan has the potential to be a hub for regional trade, transport and energy corridors and a land of opportunity which can contribute to regional economic growth.

"Indian companies are interested in bidding for copper, gold, oil and gas deposits in Afghanistan," he said.

The Afghan Vice President warmly reciprocated the President's words and said relations between Afghanistan and India are of strategic importance and the friendship between the two countries will always remain strong. He expressed gratitude for the assistance extended by India to Afghanistan and invited Indian companies to invest in Afghanistan, especially in the mining sector. (KUNA)