New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday said that the situation in Afghanistan occupied a lot of attention during his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today. Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow, Jaishankar said, "Afghanistan occupied a lot of attention during the meeting as it has a direct implication for regional security."
Jaishankar emphasized that there is a need for an immediate reduction in violence in Afghanistan. “If we have to seek peace within and around Afghanistan, it is important for India and Russia to work together to ensure that much of the progress that we have seen in economic, social and democratic terms is maintained," he reiterated.
He said that India and Russia are committed to independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan. Beyond Afghanistan, both the ministers talked about in detail what has happened in countries like Syria, Libya and Iran as both India and Russia have long-standing interests in the region. "We believe that peace and stability in such sensitive regions are very important for global interest," he added.
Jaishankar’s visit to Russia is significant because both Russia and India are for stabilization in Afghanistan and both countries equally play a crucial role in securing peace and sustainable development in the war-torn country. Also, India and Russia have major stakes in the region. It is pertinent to note that India, Russia and Iran were the main backers of an anti-Taliban alliance when the hardline Sunni groups were controlling Kabul between 1996 and 2001.
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Jaishankar also shared India’s viewpoint on Indo-Pacific with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. ”We support cooperation that reflects the multi-polar and rebalanced character of global politics. India is very much committed to the centrality, unity of the ASEAN and we believe that the Indo-Pacific ocean initiative that we tabled in the East Asia Summit is very important for the larger region. Because of our larger geopolitical compatibility with Russia, we see a more active Russian presence and participation in the Indo-Pacific region”, he said.
Minister Jaishankar, who is on a three-day official visit to Russia, stated that there have been changes in the bilateral ties between India and Russia and issues over some time. But no matter what Jaishankar said, the “logic of geo-politics was so compelling that we barely remember these even as minor aberrations.” “The undeniable reality of the exceptional resilience of our ties is surely a phenomenon that is worth analyzing. The paradox though is that precisely because it has held so steady, this relationship is sometimes taken for granted”, he added.
Earlier on Thursday, addressing at the Primakov Institute in Moscow on India-Russia ties in a changing world, Jaishankar said there is no doubt that relations between Russia and India have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War. “Russians will surely recall the ups and downs in their ties with the United States, Europe, China or Japan, or for that matter, Turkey and Iran. On their part, objective Indians would also recognize that this was the case with them as well. Where India-Russia bilateral ties are concerned, there have been changes — even issues — from time to time. But at the end of the day, the logic of geopolitics was so compelling that we barely remember these even as minor aberrations," he pointed out.
Jaishankar also held a productive review of economic cooperation with DPM Yury Borisov on Thursday. India thanked Russia for its timely support during the second wave of the pandemic in India and appreciated the Sputnik V collaboration with Russia. While travelling to Moscow, Jaishankar had made a fuel halt in Tehran which was viewed crucial as it was not just a stopover but the stopover came at a time when uncertainties in Afghanistan is mounting with the Taliban engaged in fighting with the Afghan National Security Forces as US troops look to complete their full withdrawal at the earliest. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden on Thursday confirmed that the US military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31, 2021.
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