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India offered extensive humanitarian assistance, says Taliban after meeting Indian delegation

The Taliban had said that India offered extensive humanitarian assistance to the Afghans in its second official meeting with the Indian side on the sidelines of the Moscow Format meet, India Today reported.

The Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary, PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran Division) JP Singh and the Taliban delegation led by Deputy PM Maulavi Abdul Salam Hanafi met on the sidelines of the ‘Moscow Format’ meeting on Afghanistan in the Russian capital which was convened by the host nation.

In a statement, the Taliban said that both sides took into account each other’s concerns, India Today reported.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement said, “Meeting with Mr JP Singh, Special Representative of India for and accompanying delegation. Both sides considered it necessary to take into account each other’s concerns and improve diplomatic and economic relations. The Indian side finally expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the Afghans.”

This is the second bilateral meeting after the Indian envoy to Qatar, Ambassador Deepak Mittal met Afghanistan Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai in Doha over a month ago.

India has been voicing concerns regarding the issue of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and that Afghan territory should not be used against India for cross-border terrorist activities.

While New Delhi has been mulling on how much it should engage the current dispensation, the joint statement of the Moscow Format says that all participating nations have agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan even as they call on the current Afghan leadership to take further steps to improve governance and to form a truly inclusive government that adequately reflects the interests of all major ethnopolitical forces in the country, India Today reported.

The joint statement added, “Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the sides expressed confidence in the need for the international community to mobilise consolidated efforts to provide urgent humanitarian and economic assistance to the Afghan people in the post-conflict reconstruction of the country.”

In this context, a collective initiative will be launched to convene a broad-based international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations.

“Regarding being concerned about the activities of proscribed terrorist organisations in Afghanistan, the sides reaffirmed their willingness to continue to promote security in Afghanistan to contribute to regional stability,” said the joint statement on concerns of rising terrorism and Afghanistan becoming a haven for terror organisations.

While no nation has officially recognised the Taliban government, most are increasingly engaging the new dispensation given the regional security concerns and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Moscow Format’s call for engaging the Taliban borders on the lines of endorsing the new administration without according its official status.

The statement said, “It was stated that further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community, India Today reported.

 

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