New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visit to Tajikistan comes at a time when the slated date for the Intra-Afghan talks is inching closer.
EAM Jaishankar is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan to attend the Heart of Asia Conference one of the rare forums to discuss Afghanistan, which provided an opportunity for India to present views on the Afghan peace process.
Significance
Speaking to ETV Bharat, India's Former Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ashok Sajjanhar said, "The Heart of Asia meeting is very important and the participation of India is very significant.
As rightly pointed out by EAM Jaishankar, peace within Afghanistan is not only important for Afghanistan but the whole region, and it is very important for India, because if there is an inimical adversarial government or forces in Afghanistan then it would adversely impinge on the security of India. During 1999, we have seen the violence that has been perpetrated against India by the Taliban".
"The meeting of the countries is in the context of bringing in peace in Afghanistan and in addition to that the bilateral component is also very important, as India-Tajikistan are strategic partners. Over the last few years, there has been a strong exchange of visits, he pointed out. It is an important part of India's neighbourhood, he added.
"It is an opportunity for the minister to meet the other world leaders and have an interaction on bilateral relations as well as promoting peace and security in Afghanistan", Sajjanhar said.
Also read:Jaishankar arrives in Tajik capital to attend key conference on Afghanistan
He said that going forward, the countries will have to apply pressure on the Taliban to see that there is some sort of a ceasefire and that there is no further violence because they would be able to get a seat in the administration in exchange for ensuring ceasefire in Afghanistan.
"So this is what the 'quid pro quo for the countries meeting and the discussions that are taking place. The idea would be to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and let the Taliban be a part of the ruling dispensation in Kabul", he added.
India has a very important role to play in the Afghan Peace process and has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
Addressing the Heart of Asia conference on Tuesday, Jaishankar said that the situation in Afghanistan continues to give cause for grave concern.
"For a durable peace in Afghanistan, what we need is genuine 'double peace' that is peace within Afghanistan and around Afghanistan, It requires harmonizing the interests of all, both within and around the country", he reiterated.
It is pertinent to note that India will be among the six countries which include- China, Russia, Pakistan, the United States, Iran, that would join the table to decide the roadmap for the Afghan Peace Process and given its growing stakes in the war-torn nation, New Delhi will take a strong interest in putting an end to the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
India, therefore, has always reiterated its stance that it supports a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks to end the 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people in the war-torn country and has destroyed several parts of the country.
Also read:To ensure durable peace in Afghanistan peace in and around the country essential: Jaishankar
On Monday, Jaishankar called on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and shared India's view on the peace process in the war-ravaged country. He also met other world leaders participating in the conference on the sidelines of the two-day conference including DPM & FM Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan. Both the leaders held a useful review of their bilateral and international cooperation.
Earlier today, EAM Jaishankar along with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan discussed expanding the bilateral economic and development cooperation. Minister Jaishankar appreciated his assessment of the Afghan situation.
It is the United States that has been pitching in India’s inclusion in the peace process to be a part of the mechanism, as it believes that as South Asia’s biggest player, there is no other country than India better suited to do so.
What is Afghan Peace Process
The Afghan peace process comprises the proposals and negotiations in a bid to end the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Although sporadic efforts have taken place since the war began in 2001, negotiations and the peace movement intensified in 2018 amid talks between the Taliban, which is the main insurgent group fighting against the Afghan government and American troops; and the United States, of which thousands of soldiers maintain a presence within the country to support the Afghan government. Besides the United States, regional powers such as India, China and Russia, as well as NATO play a part in facilitating the peace process.
Also read:EAM Jaishankar, President Ghani exchange views on peace process in Afghanistan
On September 22, 2016, the first treaty was signed between the Afghan government and the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin militant group. The second peace treaty was signed between the U.S. and the Taliban on February 29, 2020, which called for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban upheld the terms of the agreement.
Pertinently, after the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement, there was a heave in insurgent attacks against the Afghan security forces. It was in September 2020 that the first official peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government began in Doha, Qatar.
The next Afghan peace talk is slated to happen in April this year.
