EAM Jaishankar, Afghanistan’s Abdullah exchange views on stalled peace process

Afghanistan’s peace council chief Dr Abdullah Abdullah met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on October 9 during his official visit. Dr Abdullah said that they exchanged their view on the ongoing Afghan Peace Process and his Jaishankar assured India’s full support on the matter. Taking to Twitter, Afghanistan’s chief negotiator of the peace process said that they also discussed regional issues and bilateral cooperation.

Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to peace, prosperity and stability in Afghanistan, a country struggling to end years of armed conflict. The Union minister said that he had a good discussion with Dr Abdullah on bilateral relations, adding that he welcomed the insights and perspectives put forward by the Afghan leader on recent developments.

Dr Abdullah arrived in India on October 6 to muster regional support for the Afghan peace process amid his attempt to reach a peace deal with the Taliban. Before leaving for New Delhi, Dr Abdullah had said that India is a strategic partner of Afghanistan and has continuously supported its government and people. He stressed that the role of India in establishing “lasting peace’ in the region is vital. 

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Stalled peace process

The intra-Afghan negotiations kicked off in Doha under the chairmanship of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 12. During the opening ceremony, Abdullah thanked the Taliban for showing “willingness to negotiate” to end 19 years of war. However, the spotlight from the peace talks has faded after the lavish opening ceremony since the warring parties continue to disagree on even basic issues. 

On October 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Dr Abdullah Abdullah in the national capital and took stock of the latest development on the peace process. PM Modi said that the two leaders had productive talks on various aspects of the India-Afghanistan friendship and assured India’s support in their “quest for peace.”

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