People acquainted with the matter told Press Trust of India today that India has not been invited to a vital meeting being convened by Russia on the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan, which is expected to include Pakistan, China, and the United States.
As the Taliban’s attack in Afghanistan continues, Russia has increased its efforts to reach out to all important stakeholders in the country’s war-torn country in order to end the violence and advance the Afghan peace process.
On August 11, an “extended Troika” meeting will be conducted in Qatar. The format has previously been used for discussions on March 18 and April 30.
Russia has also been holding negotiations in Afghanistan under the “Moscow Format” to promote peace and create circumstances for the process of national reconciliation.
In Tashkent last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia will continue to engage with India and other nations that can affect the Afghan situation.
Following his remarks, there was talk that India would be invited to the future “extended Trioka” conference.
“We will continue to engage with the Americans in the expanded Troika framework, as well as all other nations that have the ability to affect the situation in Afghanistan, including our Central Asian partners, India, Iran, and the United States,” he told reporters.
Mr Lavrov had stated, “We have a Moscow format that includes all of the major actors.”
Although Russia and the United States disagree on several aspects of the Afghan crisis, both nations are now pushing for intra-Afghan dialogue and an end to the Taliban’s widespread bloodshed.
India has yet to make a statement about the extended Troika meeting. Meanwhile, Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay hailed the United Nations Security Council’s decision to convene a meeting on August 6 to examine the situation in Afghanistan as a positive move.
The UN Security Council will convene on Friday under the Indian presidency to discuss and assess the situation in Afghanistan, according to India’s ambassador to the UN, TS Tirumurti.
“A positive development is the convening of an emergency UN Security Council session on Afghanistan. The United Nations and the international community must do more to stop the tragedy in Afghanistan that is unfolding as a result of terrorist violence and atrocities. Thank you, India, for taking the initiative as UN Secretary-President General’s “Mr. Mamundzay sent out a tweet.
The UNSC meeting was called two days after Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Hanif Atmar met with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar about holding an emergency session of the UN Security Council to end the Taliban’s bloodshed.
For the month of August, India will chair over the United Nations Security Council.
Since the United States began withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan on May 1, the Taliban has made quick progress across the country by resorting to widespread bloodshed. The United States has already withdrawn the majority of its forces and plans to finish the process by August 31.
India has played a significant role in maintaining Afghanistan’s peace and stability. It has already committed about USD 3 billion in the war-torn country’s assistance and rehabilitation efforts.
India has been supporting an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled national peace and reconciliation initiative.
It has also urged all members of Afghanistan’s political spectrum to work together to meet the aspirations of all Afghans, particularly those from minority populations, for a prosperous and secure future.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
