India, Central Asian stress respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): Special envoys of India and Central Asian countries have discussed the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

Special envoys attended the first meeting of the India-Central Asia joint working group on Afghanistan, The Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi said.

The envoys discussed security, political, economic and humanitarian issues facing Afghanistan and stressed respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country.

The MEA statement comes after a meeting of senior officials and envoys from India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in New Delhi some months back.

Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) also participated in the meeting.

The meeting was held in pursuance of the decisions made during the India-Central Asia Summit in 2022.

The participants had the opportunity to discuss important issues related to Afghanistan. They exchanged views on the political, security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

According to MEA, the meeting underlined the need for respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the war-hit country.

The participants also emphasised on non-interference in the internal issues of this country and asked for a stable, peaceful and secure Afghanistan.

They also called for the formation of a truly inclusive and representative political structure respecting the rights of all Afghans and ensuring equal rights for women, girls and members of minority groups.

They discussed the issue of counter-narcotics and the imperative of fighting terrorism.

aw/sa/mud