India on Friday said it remained an important stakeholder in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban regime not to use its territory to train and harbor terrorists, including those of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JM). “India was and is an important stakeholder in Afghanistan,” Vikram Misri, India’s deputy national security adviser, said while participating in a dialogue on Afghanistan’s security and political situation in Bishkek on Friday. He added , India believes that a “consensus-based” approach must be adopted at both the regional and international levels.
The sixth Security Council Secretary/National Security Advisor Regional Dialogue on Afghanistan was held in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was also attended by the national security chiefs of Russia, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Misri also reiterated India’s consistent policy of supporting the Afghan peace process, emphasizing the historical and cultural ties between the two countries.
“India has always firmly pursued a policy of supporting peace, security and stability in Afghanistan. As a neighboring country, India has legitimate economic and security interests in Afghanistan.”
The deputy director of the National Security Agency highlighted New Delhi’s concerns about anti-India terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed under the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan. “Afghan territory should not be used to harbor, train, plan or finance acts of terrorism; specifically, terrorists proscribed by the United Nations Security Council, including members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. It is well known that any instability in Afghanistan will have negative consequences for the entire poses a threat to the region.”
Msiri highlighted efforts to promote economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including promoting trade facilitation through Iran’s Chabahar port. He stressed the importance of leveraging regional connectivity to promote trade and economic growth in Afghanistan. India has called on Central Asian neighbors to use Chabahar port for maritime trade, emphasizing its potential as a regional commercial gateway.
New Delhi does not recognize the Taliban in Afghanistan and is represented by a technical team, including some senior officials from the foreign ministry, for dialogue with the regime.
Last month, on the issue of the head of the Indian technical team meeting the Taliban in Kabul, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have participated in several meetings at the digital and international levels in various formats. conference on Afghanistan. As you may have seen, we also participated in a regional conference in Kabul recently, where our technical team leader also participated. He briefed the conference on India’s long-standing friendship with the Afghan people and our work in humanitarian assistance carried out in the country.”
On January 29, the Taliban organized a regional cooperation initiative meeting, and representatives and special envoys from 12 countries met with Amir Khan Mutaji, the acting foreign minister of the Afghan government.
In addition to India, representatives participating in the meeting include Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.
India has invested more than $3 billion in Afghanistan, with nearly 500 projects spread across all 34 provinces of the country. These projects aim to improve the lives of Afghan citizens by providing basic services and creating economic opportunities.
Additionally, India has been a major provider of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in the form of food, medical supplies and educational support. So far, India has provided nearly 50,000 tons of wheat, 250 tons of medical supplies, and 28 tons of earthquake relief supplies.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
