New Delhi: Russia has supported India’s efforts to hold a regional conference in Afghanistan next week with 2 sides today in close touches to facilitate participation by Russia NSA Nikolay Patrushev.
While official confirmation is still awaited, sources say Moscow has supported the Indian initiative even though the Taliban has not been invited to the meeting.
Patrushev has visited India in September for a high-level inter-government dialogue about Afghanistan and its participation in the upcoming conference, which will be held by the NSA Ajit Doval, will be significant for India considering the role of the Russian key playing in Afghanistan at this time.
As was first reported on October 16, India proposed its own conference in Afghanistan last month amid increasing concerns over the security situation and the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Russia has encouraged India to engage with the Taliban and was happy with the recent meeting between the Indian and Taliban delegation on the Margin of Moscow format talks.
Messenger of President Zamir Kabulov said last week the meeting was a sign that “regional consensus was actually ripe” and that such involvement would increase mutual understanding between India and Kabul.
Sources say high officials from Iran and several Central Asian countries are likely to participate in conferences.
China, if at all, can join virtually and Pakistan NSA Moeed Yusuf said not in participation, calling India “spoiler” in Afghanistan.
While the conference might see “Token participation” by Pakistan virtually, Yusuf’s refusal to visit India suggested Islamabad will remain reluctant to facilitate the outreach of Afghanistan by India.
Pakistan has so far not accessed India’s proposals for providing wheat and medical assistance to Afghanistan through land routes.
It was studied that Islamabad still considered the proposal and that modalities for the movement of a large number of trucks were being worked on.
As reported by TOI on October 19, and once again on Tuesday this week, India approached Pakistan early last month with a proposal to transport 50,000 mt of wheat to Afghanistan through the border route Wagah-Attari.
India in 2002 proposed the same exercise to transport wheat to Afghanistan but Pakistan then denied permission.
Significantly, the Ambassador of the UN Taliban and spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told Tii Monday that the Kabul Government was open to receiving assistance from India, like the others, in front of the upcoming winter.
It attended the Taliban meeting with India in Moscow who saw the latter offering humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.
For India even though it is also important, because the government has repeatedly said, to involve the United Nations in the process of sending humanitarian aid to ensure the distribution of “non-discriminatory”.