Mr. President,

1. At the outset, let me thank you for organizing today's debate on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). We thank the SRSG Jan Kubis and Ambassador Tanin for their briefings. We also thank the Secretary General for his quarterly report on the situation in Afghanistan.

Mr. President,

2. I will begin by paying tribute to the people of Afghanistan who have endured endless violence but have emerged triumphant every time. The conduct of the first and second rounds of the Presidential elections despite the threat of terrorist violence and the intimidation of elders of the community is testimony to the great courage and democratic conviction of all the people of Afghanistan cutting across age and ethnicity.

3. There is no better testimony than these recent elections to show that Afghanistan belongs to all Afghans, and not to any one group or ethnicity. In the statements that are being made by Afghan political leaders including those who have participated in the gruelling election campaign, we see great wisdom and statesmanship. There is a fundamental understanding amongst the Afghan leadership that while it may take simple arithmetic majority to win an election, it takes national consensus and inclusiveness to build a strong democratic and prosperous country.

4. We congratulate President Karzai for his leadership and statesmanship in ensuring this first political transition; his is a special political legacy in Afghanistan that will always be recognized by the people of Afghanistan and the region. We also congratulate all the Presidential candidates who participated in both the first and second rounds, under extremely difficult security conditions. Perhaps more than anything, their act of participating in this democratic process and rallying voters in large numbers despite the trying circumstances has done more for democracy in Afghanistan than any other measure. The two candidates who fought the 2nd round also have the onerous responsibility along with other Afghan institutions to ensure that this process is completed.

Mr. President

5.The political transition that will take place on August 2 will mark a significant milestone in Afghanistan's entire history.

6.We will never forget the great sacrifice and suffering the brave people of Afghanistan have undergone to reach this milestone.

Mr. President,

7. The attack of May 23, against the Indian Consulate in Herat was a grim reminder that terrorism, not ethnicity or tribal differences, is the greatest threat to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the chances of the Afghan people of attaining the path of self sustained economic growth and prosperity

8. The Secretary General's latest quarterly report on the security situation in Afghanistan is a sobering reminder of the extent of this danger. We are distressed to learn that incidents in the south, southeast, and east of the country alone accounted for 3,917 of the total number of incidents in the short period of 1 March- 31 May, 2014. The Secretary General has noted that there has also been an increase in incidents where a variety of Al-Qaida affiliates including the Pakistan based Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan have been regularly undertaking attacks against Afghan security forces, in parallel to the actions of the elements of the erstwhile Taliban regime.

9.The whole hearted support by the international community to developing a prosperous, independent and sovereign Afghanistan capable of defending itself is the only way to defeat this scourge.

Mr. President,

10. On the reconciliation process, we believe that this process must remain Afghan led, Afghan owned and 'Afghan controlled' while respecting the agreed red lines. We were happy to inform that the entire Non Aligned Movement (NAM) member states endorsed the 'Afghan controlled' process of reconciliation during the recent Ministerial meeting of the NAM countries in Algiers.  Treating the Government of Afghanistan on par with elements of the erstwhile Taliban regime is something we will never endorse.

Mr. President,

11. Though the international community's focus has been on the security and political transitions in Afghanistan, we must not allow our attention to get diverted from the equally important issue of economic development in Afghanistan.

12.In this context the role of UNAMA, and the UN agencies whose activities it is meant to coordinate, has a significant role to play. The UNAMA has an important job of supporting Afghan political institutions, but it must also work to harness the unique capabilities of the UN and its development agencies to reach humanitarian assistance and developmental services to the remotest villages in Afghanistan

Mr. President,

13. India's commitment to assisting the people and Government of Afghanistan as they build a peaceful, pluralistic, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan will remain unwaivering.  India does not have an "Exit Strategy" in Afghanistan with whom we shares civilizational linkages spanning hundreds of years.

14.In conclusion, Mr. President, we would like to once again congratulate the people of Afghanistan on their enthusiastic participation in the elections. We want to express our full support to the political, social and economic transition that is taking place. Afghanistan is standing at the threshold of a historic transition and we would like to convey our best wishes to the people of Afghanistan. At this critical juncture, we would like to assure Afghanistan of the steadfast support of the Government and people of India.

I thank you, Mr. President.