Taliban-led IEA delegation meets Indian envoy for Afghan, Iran and Pakistan at Moscow meet

On the sidelines of the Moscow format negotiations, representatives from India and the Taliban met on Wednesday, October 21. At Moscow meet, delegates from the Islamic Emirate met with J P Singh, the joint secretary of India's Ministry of External Affairs' Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division, according to a tweet posted by Zabihullah Mujahid, Deputy Minister for information and broadcasting of interim Afghan government. The Taliban delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, while JP Singh, the joint secretary in charge of the external affairs ministry's Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division is leading the Indian envoy. 

In a subsequent tweet, the IEA spokesman added that both parties agreed that it was important to consider each other's issues and develop diplomatic and commercial ties. Finally, the Indian side stated its willingness to assist the Afghans with a wide spectrum of humanitarian aid. 

GOI looks forward to help Afghans with humanitarian aid however anti-India actions backed by ISI on Afghan soil remains a concern

India is set to channel humanitarian help to Afghanistan via a United Nations organisation. India's desire to provide Afghans with food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid has previously been voiced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India had previously asked for unrestricted access for humanitarian aid providers in Afghanistan, as well as an equal allocation of resources among all ethnic groups.

The talks were attended by ten countries, including China, Pakistan, India, and Central Asian countries. In Doha, India has had limited communication with Taliban administration officials. India has refused to recognise the Taliban regime and has called for the formation of a more inclusive and representative government. The use of Afghan soil for anti-India actions backed by Pakistan's spy agency, ISI, has been a source of concern for the Indian government.

Image: AP