Afghan President Starts Visit To India

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) shakes hands with Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N Singh upon his arrival at the airport in New Delhi on December 12.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is starting a four-day official visit to India.

Karzai arrived in the Indian capital on December 12 seeking New Delhi's support as foreign forces in Afghanistan start their planned drawdown next year.

Indian media reports say Karzai is seeking aid from New Delhi, particularly military assistance.

Karzai was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, and other officials during his visit.

Karzai is working to strengthen Afghanistan's ties with neighboring states ahead of the reduction in foreign troops in 2014.

The Afghan president visited Iran last week.

With reporting by "The Hindu" and Afghan Channel One