India, Afghanistan sign four cooperation pacts

India and Afghanistan Monday signed four agreements to cooperate in areas of social welfare, fertilizer, coal mining and youth affairs, an official here said.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is in India on a four-day official visit that began Friday.
A memorandum of understanding, under which India will provide grants to Afghanistan to implement small development projects through local bodies, community organisations, charitable trusts and educational institutions, was signed by External Affair Minister Salman Khurshid and Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul, an official statement from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said. 

The second MoU signed by Khurshid and Afghanistan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani relates to fertilizer sector, while the third MoU signed by India's external affairs minister and Aghanistan Minister of Information and Culture Sayed Makhdoom Raheenis aims at cooperation in youth affairs.

The MoU on development of coal resources was signed by India's Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and Afghanistan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani.