JAISHANKAR MEETS AFGHAN COUNTERPART

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart Haneef Atmar on Tuesday discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan and cooperation in the fight against terrorism and establishing peace and stability in the region.

Jaishankar and Atmar met in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe on the margins of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The two ministers will also participate in a meeting of the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the two sides to compare notes on developments in Afghanistan, especially the security situation, amid the rapid drawdown of US and foreign forces and the Taliban’s violent campaign to capture territory, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. Jaishankar tweeted: “Began my Dushanbe visit by meeting with Afghan FM @MHaneefAtmar. Appreciate his update on recent developments. Looking forward to the meeting of the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan tomorrow.”

The Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement that Atmar and Jaishankar discussed the political and security situation, the peace process, and “India’s cooperation with Afghanistan in various fields, including the joint fight against terrorism and the establishment of lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region”. Atmar referred to the escalation of Taliban attacks on civilians and Afghan forces in “collusion with foreign fighters and regional and international terrorist networks”, and said that “overcoming this common threat was of vital importance to regional security”. Jaishankar expressed concern at the escalation of violence and stressed the need to end the bloodshed in Afghanistan, the statement said. He assured Atmar of India’s continued cooperation in “strengthening regional and global consensus to achieve a political settlement in Afghanistan”.