NSA Meet in Delhi: Tajikistan Secy highlights 'terror risks' due to Afghanistan situation

Nasrullo Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda, Secretary, Security Council of Tajikistan, expressed concern about terrorism and drug trafficking in Afghanistan on Wednesday, November 10. In his opening remarks at Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan, Tajikistan's Secretary, Mahmudzoda, stated that as a neighbouring country, Tajikistan is willing to take part in any programme that can help Afghan people. 

Following fall of democratically elected government and subsequent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, India hosted a regional summit in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss current situation in country. Ajit Doval, India's National Security visor (NSA), is conference's chair, and his counterparts from Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan are in attendance.

"We as neighbouring country are rey to participate in all programmes that can help people of Afghanistan," Mahmudzoda was quoted by ANI as saying at NSA-level meet.

According to a subsequent tweet by media agency, Mahmudzoda stated that because Afghanistan and Tajikistan share a long border, current situation creates ditional risks and possibilities for drug trafficking and terrorism. situation along Tajikistan's and Afghanistan's borders remains 'complicated', he ded.

Ors attending Delhi Regional Security Dialogue include miral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Karim Massimov, chairman of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee, Marat Mukanovich Imankulov, Secretary of Kyrgyz Republic's Security Council, Nikolai P Patrushev, Secretary of Russian Federation's Security Council, and Charymyrat Victor Makhmudov, Secretary of Security Council of Uzbekistan.

Pakistan, China decline invitation to NSA-level talks on Afghanistan  

NSAs of Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan h been formally invited to meeting by India. China and Pakistan, however, stated that y will not be attending conference. No delegation from Afghanistan was invited. NSA meet is being viewed as part of India's efforts to remain pertinent in aftermath of developments in Afghanistan since Taliban's takeover. This is third time a meeting on Afghan situation has been held. In September 2018 and December 2019, Iran hosted previous two regional meetings in this format. Meanwhile, Kabul sees conference as a positive step towards making aid to Afghanistan more accessible, according to local media reports.

(With inputs from ANI, Image: @ANI/Twitter)