Kabul:
Reiterating India's continued and unstinted support to Afghanistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that New Delhi was "firm and unwavering" in its commitment to the strife-torn nation.
To that end, the Prime Minister pledged a fresh commitment of USD 500 million towards the development of its neighbour.
"Our development assistance commitment to Afghanistan currently stands at approximately USD 1.5 billion spread over several sectors, but there are still gaps. We now have a better idea of where we can and should do more.
"We have decided to make a fresh commitment valued at approximately 500 million US dollars over the next few years. This will consist of specific projects and schemes and other initiatives that will be developed in consultation with the Government of Afghanistan," Mr Singh said.
The Prime Minister's comments came during his joint address with Afghan president Hamid Karzai as part of a two-day visit to the country that began today.
The PM also spoke on the issue of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's death and dubbed it as "a unique moment in history".
He also said that a thorough investigation was needed on the presence of Osama in Abbottabad for such a long period.
The Prime Minister also spelt the need for India, Afghanistan and Pakistan to work together to "end the scourge of terrorism".
"Peace and security requires all the countries in the region to think afresh in dealing with terrorism", he said.
Earlier in the day, the PM had assured the Afghan leadership that India will stand by the war-torn nation through "thick and thin", noting the two countries were "partners in progress."
(With PTI inputs)