Taliban must keep word, deny safe havens: Jaishankar at FMs’ meet

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 8

India on Wednesday told a conference of over 15 Foreign Ministers convened by the US and Germany that the use of Afghan soil to promote terrorism “in any manner by any country is unacceptable”. With Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi among those listening in, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the Taliban to live up to its declarations to that effect.

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At the virtual conference attended by the NATO Secretary General, besides Foreign Ministers from the UK, Turkey, France, Norway, Spain, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Jaishankar wanted the collective approach of the global community towards Afghanistan to be as per UNSC Resolution 2593, passed on August 30 under India’s presidency.

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“The world should not countenance interference by external players, especially those intensifying violence at this difficult time,” said Jaishankar. The UNSC Resolution asks the Taliban to allow safe passage for those seeking to leave Afghanistan and not harbour groups that threaten or attack any country or shelter and train terrorists.

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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns and Russian National Security Adviser Gen Nikolai Patrushev met NSA Ajit Doval and other top security managers over the past two days. Their interactions took place a week after the visit of the British Intelligence (MI6) chief Richard Moore.

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The world should not countenance interference by external players, especially those intensifying violence at this difficult time. S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister

The visits are part of a flurry of exchanges between world leaders, as they try to develop leverages and understand the implications of Afghanistan’s takeover by a secretive militant group.

Burns met Doval on Tuesday. Sources said the veteran diplomat would have touched upon an expanded G-7 that could hold Taliban to its assurances before giving it recognition. Burns later left for Islamabad. The other major visitor, Patrushev interacted with Doval and Jaishankar, and later called on PM Modi on Wednesday. Russia has a functional embassy in Kabul and is among a handful of countries invited by the Taliban for the swearing-in. With Russia, India has more commonalities on Afghanistan, including making sure that it does not become a breeding ground for jihadis.

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