Published 14:49 IST, October 5th 2020
Abdullah Abdullah to visit India amid stalled Afghan peace talks with Taliban
Abdullah Abdullah is slated to visit New Delhi later this week to garner support for the Afghan peace process which is currently facing a stalemate situation.
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The head of Afghanistan’s peace council, Abdullah Abdullah, is slated to visit New Delhi later this week to garner support for the Afghan peace process which is currently facing a stalemate situation. Abdullah will reportedly meet with top Indian officials to discuss the peace process and bilateral relations between Afghanistan and India.
"The aim of the trip is to attract support for the Afghan peace and strengthen regional consensus. Dr Abdullah Abdullah will meet with Indian officials on Afghan peace and bilateral relations between Afghanistan and India," Abdullah's spokesperson Fraidoon Khwazoon was quoted as saying by ANI.
Abdullah’s visit comes at a time when the Afghanistan government and the Taliban are trying to achieve a consensus on a peace deal. The intra-Afghan negotiations kicked off in Doha under the chairmanship of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the opening ceremony, Abdullah thanked the Taliban for showing “willingness to negotiate” to end 19 years of war.
The spotlight from the peace talks has faded after the lavish opening ceremony on September 12 as the Afghan government and the Taliban continue to disagree on even basic issues. Last month, the Special US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation said that the level of violation is unacceptably high with the possibility of further setbacks during talks.
“By any measure, current levels of violence are too high,” special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told a Congressional hearing.
India's involvement
On September 15, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held extensive talks about the Afghan peace process with the special envoy in the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Khalilzad stated that the US greatly appreciates India's contributions to the Afghan peace process and shared the American perspective on the ongoing peace talks. Before arriving in India, the US envoy had visited Islamabad where he discussed the Afghan peace process with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Glad to receive Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad @US4AfghanPeace this evening. Useful discussions on the Doha Meeting and its follow-up. pic.twitter.com/ClmuSOg4aw
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 15, 2020
(Image: AP)
14:49 IST, October 5th 2020