India on Tuesday joined Russia, China and seven other nations in opposing attempts to deploy foreign military infrastructure in Afghanistan. The joint position was adopted against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s recent call to the Taliban regime to hand over the strategic Bagram airbase to the United States.
At a fresh edition of the Moscow Format talks, the participating countries held wide-ranging deliberations aimed at ensuring stability, prosperity and development in Afghanistan.
“They described as unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability,” a statement said.
Taliban Joins Moscow Format Talks for the First Time
Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi participated in the Moscow Format talks for the first time. A few weeks ago, Trump had said the Taliban should hand over Bagram airbase to the US as it was originally set up by Washington.
The participating nations called for strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels. “They emphasised that Afghanistan should be supported to undertake comprehensive measures aimed at the elimination of terrorism and its eradication within a short timeframe so that Afghan soil is not used as a threat to the security of the neighbouring countries and beyond,” the statement added.
The countries reiterated that terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan, the region and the wider world.
Regional Consensus on Stability and Connectivity
Besides India, Russia and China, the meeting was attended by Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The countries noted the need to strengthen Afghanistan’s economic ties with the region and beyond.
“They supported the active integration of Afghanistan into the system of regional connectivity,” the statement said.
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The Indian delegation, led by Ambassador Vinay Kumar, reiterated India’s position in support of “an independent, peaceful and stable Afghanistan and socioeconomic development and prosperity of Afghan people,” the Indian embassy in Moscow said.
Kumar stated that a secure, peaceful and stable Afghanistan will serve the interests of the Afghan people and be “fundamental to regional resilience and global security.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, addressing the meeting, said, “We can see that your government is working towards stability in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is generally agreed that there have been major positive changes in the struggle against the terrorist threat.”
“The relevant UN bodies have noted a substantial decrease in the areas sown with narcotic plants,” Lavrov added. He said Russia is keen to provide all-round assistance to Afghanistan in its fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and organised crime to ensure a peaceful life for Afghan people.
