Karzai's visit comes weeks after a deadly attack on the Indian mission in Kabul [AFP]

Karzai, who is on a two-day visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome on Monday by Pratibha Patil, the Indian president.

Karzai was due to hold talks with Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, later in the day.

Both New Delhi and Kabul share a common interest in stopping what they called Pakistan-sponsored violence, and Monday's talks were expected to centre on this issue.

India is currently involved in training Afghanistan's police and diplomats, building roads and hospitals, and supporting trade and services as the country tries to rebuild its economy, despite continuing Taliban attacks.

"India and Afghanistan are facing challenges of terrorism, of cold-blooded, brutal, murderous activity in our two countries and we recognise that the two countries and the world at large have no option but to be united in fighting the menace of terrorism," Karzai said.

A suicide bombing last month at the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, killing 58 people, including two senior Indian diplomats, underscored the security tensions in the region.

Afghanistan, India and the US have accused Pakistan's spy agency ISI of being involved in the attack.

"As the attack on our embassy in Kabul on July 7 has tragically shown, terrorism has no barriers and is not bound by any restraints. It was an attack on the friendship between India and Afghanistan," Singh said.

"We have agreed that we will not allow terrorism to stand in our way. We will fight it united and with full determination."

Pakistan denies any involvement.

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