New Delhi: Amid the diplomatic spat with Canada, New Delhi is all set to attend the fifth Moscow Format Meeting on Afghanistan at Kazan, in Russia on Friday.
All eyes are on the much-awaited meet, which is expected to bring some forward movement regarding situation in Afghanistan. The all-important meeting is envisaged as crucial from India's perspective as the country sees peace in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as crucial for regional stability.
Rajiv Dogra, India’s former ambassador to Romania, Italy and Consul General of Karachi; said he would keenly watch the outcome of the meeting and added the fallout will hopefully augur well for Afghanistan. However. The meeting in Moscow will features Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran, which holds significance as far as India’s ties with the Taliban are concerned.
In an interview with ETV Bharat, Dogra said, “India has taken the position right from the time that one can remember and even before that it has to keep some window open and this has been the tradition between Indian people and the Afghans. While others were playing great games, including the British, who then were ruling India, the fact was there were Indian people maintaining trade and other ties with the Afghans."
“Of course, after 1947, the picture changed entirely. It became one of cooperation for a friend in need and not one of playing games with them. Today, it is at a juncture where there is Taliban rule, but at the same time one (India) has to find a way to reach out to people, and for that, it is important to maintain some kind of a connection with those who are controlling the instruments of power, presently, it is the Taliban," Dogra explained.
He said, “Although India has not recognised the Taliban regime, still it wants to help Afghanistan by sending humanitarian assistance. It is with the same positive spirit that India will be approaching the Moscow meeting on Afghanistan”.
However, in stark contrast to Pakistan, Dogra explained that India has been playing a constructive role both at the UN and directly in support of Afghanistan's future. Pakistan in contrast indulged in a slanging match with the Afghan representative at the Security Council. “Even bilaterally, Pakistan is planning to repatriate 1.5 million Afghan refugees, who have been settled there for some time. They will be will be uprooted and sent back on the army’s order," asserted Dogra.
During the Moscow format meeting, New Delhi will focus on safeguarding its strategic interests and push for an inclusive government that upholds the rights of all sections of Afghan society. The meeting, hosted by Russia, aims to call for the creation of an inclusive government in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan that represents the interests of all sections and ethnic groups.
Last year in November, India joined the fourth Meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan which was held in Moscow. The Moscow format — one of the several dialogue platforms in Afghanistan — which began before the Taliban takeover of Kabul, consists of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and India.
Former diplomat Dogra further noted that every age and circumstance needs some ‘flexible interpretation’. “In the same way, India is adapting to the changed circumstances in the interest of the people of Afghanistan," said Dogra, adding, “As with back channels, these have also the instrumentalities that India resorting to because they are the need of the time.”
He said that the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan will hopefully bring some movement forward. It is pertinent to note that the main objective of the Moscow meeting is to foster political reconciliation in the landlocked and address regional security concerns. In the last few decades, India and Afghanistan have seen multiple engagements, and the ties between the two countries are centered on different pillars, including large infrastructure projects; human resource development and capacity building; humanitarian assistance; community development projects; and enhancing trade and investment through connectivity. Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, India has been steadfast in providing humanitarian assistance to help the war-torn country deal with the crisis and continues to do so. Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that India’s approach to Afghanistan continues to be guided by its historical friendship.
