Kabul, Delhi vow to expand strategic partnership

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan and India have agreed on expanding their strategic and development partnership to strengthen the ongoing peace process, a media report said on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar and his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar held on Monday wide-ranging talks on bilateral cooperation in New Delhi on recent developments in the intra-Afghan dialogue, The Times of India reported.

During his visit to New Delhi, coming days after the Moscow meeting on Afghanistan, Atmar briefed Jaishankar on recent developments in the peace process. They vowed to further boost cooperation in areas of security, connectivity and trade.

The Biden administration’s recent proposal for a UN-convened meeting on Afghanistan involving India, Russia, China and America also came up for discussion, the newspaper said.

At the meeting, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s long-term commitment to making Afghanistan a united, peaceful and prosperous constitutional democracy respecting the will of its people.

“Taking India-Afghanistan strategic partnership forward, S Jaishankar warmly welcomed Atmar. Issues of bilateral and regional interest including development cooperation, trade and investment, regional connectivity, security links and the peace process were discussed,” a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in Delhi tweeted.

Key issues, including strengthening security cooperation, regional connectivity, trade and investments were also discussed during the meeting, which took place amid renewed efforts to speed up the Afghan peace process.

“Welcomed FM M Haneef Atmar of Afghanistan detailed conversation on the peace process. Also exchanged views on our bilateral cooperation and development partnership,” Jaishankar tweeted.

“Arrived in beautiful & historic city of Delhi for a 3-day working visit,” Atmar wrote on his Twitter account. He said he was looking forward to holding talks with senior officials of India on the Afghan peace process as well as on security and economic cooperation.

Abdullah Abdullah, the High Council for National Reconciliation chairman, had visited India in October for consultations on the initiative to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

PAN Monitor/mud