India signed a partnership pact with Afghanistan on Tuesday, agreeing to step up cooperation in counterterrorism operations, training of security forces and trade.

The agreement, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed at the start of a two-day visit to India, also includes measures to boost political and cultural engagement.

In addition, India pledged its help in stabilizing Afghanistan as the country battles rising extremist violence and prepares for the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops in 2014.

Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held detailed discussions on the rise of terrorism in the region, Singh said, but neither leader mentioned Pakistan in their statements, which were read at a news conference.

“Our cooperation with Afghanistan is an open book. We have civilizational links, and we are both here to stay,” Singh said in his statement, adding that the agreement creates “an institutional framework” for future ties. “India will stand by the people of Afghanistan as they prepare to assume the responsibility for their governance and security after the withdrawal of international forces in 2014.”

Karzai, who is making his second visit to the Indian capital this year, said Afghanistan appreciated New Delhi’s “understanding of its difficulties” and added that he was “grateful” for India’s help. The strategic agreement is the first such partnership Kabul has entered into with any country.

“Afghanistan recognizes the danger this region is facing through terrorism and the radicalism that is being used as an instrument of policy against civilians and innocent citizens of our country,” Karzai said.

Karzai and Singh also announced commercial ties in mining, mineral exploration and development of hydrocarbons, including oil and natural gas, and Singh said he will work to improve Afghanistan’s economic integration with India and with South Asia as a whole.

Last year, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a transit-trade agreement that would allow agricultural products from Afghanistan to cross Pakistan into India. But the agreement has yet to yield major changes in trade patterns across the region.