New Delhi: Afghan peace negotiator Dr Abdullah Abdullah on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discussed the ongoing peace initiative to bring stability in Afghanistan.
Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation is on a five-day official visit to India to muster support for the Afghan peace process and regional consensus.
During the meeting, both the leaders reaffirmed the long term commitment to further deepening of ties between the two countries.
The prime focus of the meeting was on the Afghan Peace Process, bilateral, regional and international issues.
Following the meeting, Dr Abdullah took to the twitter, thanking PM Modi for India's assurance of support for the peace process in Afghanistan.
Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava said Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to further deepening India-Afghan ties.
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HE PM assured me of India’s continued support for the peace process, & Afghanistan. I thanked him & the people of India for the invitation, & generous hospitality. I also thanked India for its principled position on the #AfghanPeaceProcess. 2/2
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) October 8, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">HE PM assured me of India’s continued support for the peace process, & Afghanistan. I thanked him & the people of India for the invitation, & generous hospitality. I also thanked India for its principled position on the #AfghanPeaceProcess. 2/2
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) October 8, 2020HE PM assured me of India’s continued support for the peace process, & Afghanistan. I thanked him & the people of India for the invitation, & generous hospitality. I also thanked India for its principled position on the #AfghanPeaceProcess. 2/2
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) October 8, 2020
"Pleased to meet HE Narendra Modi @narendramodi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India. In our friendly discussion we took stock of the latest developments on the Afghan peace process, the talks in Doha and India's support for the peace efforts", Dr Abdullah said on Twitter.
"HE PM assured me of India's continued support for the peace process and Afghanistan. I thanked him and the people of India for the invitation, and generous hospitality. I also thanked India for its principled position on the Afghan Peace Process", he added.
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On Wednesday, Dr Abdullah, the head of Afghan peace council held in-depth talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
They discussed the process for an independent, democratic, sovereign and peaceful Afghanistan where no terrorists can operate. The visit of the influential Afghan leader to India comes in the midst of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha.
The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks to end 19 years-long war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country. India 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.
India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
On September 12, an Indian delegation attended the inaugural ceremony of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined it through video conference.
India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country.
The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any 'ungoverned spaces' where terrorists and their proxies can relocate.
India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future.
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