India is key stakeholder in Afghanistan, Deputy NSA Misri said at regional meeting and highlighted terrorist concerns
India has said it remains an important stakeholder in Afghanistan, and has urged the Taliban regime to stop using its territory for training and harboring terrorists including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Should not be done. JE meter). “India was and is an important stakeholder in Afghanistan,” India’s Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri said while participating in talks on Afghanistan’s security and political situation in Bishkek on Friday. He said India considers a “consensus-based” approach essential at both the regional and international levels.
The sixth regional dialogue of Security Council Secretaries/National Security Advisors on Afghanistan took place in the Kyrgyz capital. The meeting also saw representation from the national security chiefs of Russia, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Misri also reiterated India’s consistent policy in supporting Afghanistan’s journey towards peace, emphasizing the historical and cultural ties between the two countries.
“India has been consistent and firm in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan. As a close neighbour, India has legitimate economic and security interests in Afghanistan,” he said.
The deputy NSA underlined New Delhi’s concern about the possibility of anti-India terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed under the Taliban, the de facto government of Afghanistan. “Afghanistan territory must not be used to harbor, train, plan or finance terrorist acts; Specifically, terrorist individuals proscribed by the United Nations Security Council, including those associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. It is well established that any instability in Afghanistan is a threat to the entire region,” he said.
Missiri highlighted efforts to promote economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including facilitating trade through the Chabahar port in Iran. He stressed the importance of leveraging regional connectivity to boost trade and economic development in Afghanistan. India has called on Central Asian neighbors to use the Chabahar port for maritime trade, underscoring its potential to serve as a gateway for regional commerce.
New Delhi does not recognize the Taliban in Afghanistan and is represented by a technical team, including some senior officials of the External Affairs Ministry, which engages in talks with the regime.
Last month, on the question of the head of the Indian technical team meeting with the Taliban in Kabul, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, “We have been participating in several meetings on Afghanistan in various formats, both digitally and at the international level. You may have noticed that recently we also participated in a regional meeting in Kabul where the heads of our technical team attended. He apprised the meeting of India’s long-standing friendship with the Afghan people and the humanitarian assistance we provide to the country.
On January 29, the Taliban held a Regional Cooperation Initiative meeting where representatives and envoys from 12 countries met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan government.
Apart from India, representatives of Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan were present in the meeting.
India’s investment in Afghanistan exceeds US$3 billion with presence in nearly 500 projects in all 34 provinces of the country. These projects aim to improve the lives of Afghan citizens by providing essential services and promoting economic opportunities.
Additionally, India has been a major provider of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, providing assistance in the form of food, medical supplies and educational assistance. India has so far supplied around 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 250 tonnes of medical aid and 28 tonnes of earthquake relief aid.