India, 5 Central Asian nations for immediate aid to Afghan people

NEW DELHI: Foreign ministers of India and five Central Asian countries on Sunday called for immediate humanitarian aid to Afghan people, renewed the demand for a “truly inclusive” government in Kabul and asserted that Afghan territory must not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist activities.

At the third India-Central Asia Dialogue in Delhi, the ministers reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, emphasising the need for respecting its sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and ensuring non-interference in its internal affairs, seen as an indirect message to Pakistan.

The need for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity in rolling out connectivity projects, increasing the importance of the Chabahar port for boosting regional trade, mutual recognition of vaccine certification and establishment of long-term ties between Central Asia and India were among a range of broad consensus that emerged from the dialogue.

The dialogue, hosted by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, was attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

A joint statement said the ministers also pressed for “concerted action” against all terror groups and said providing safe havens to terror groups, use of terrorist

proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing and dissemination of a radical ideology go against the basic principles of humanity and international relations.

The mentioning of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism in a joint statement released at the end of the dialogue is seen as an oblique reference to Pakistan that has been supporting various terror groups targeting India. Voicing serious concern over the threat of terrorism, the ministers stressed perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with the principle of “extradite or prosecute”.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said India will be a “steadfast partner” of the Central Asian region.