New Delhi, February 19
India, the United States and Afghanistan today held a trilateral dialogue to discuss the situation there and consider how they could jointly take up developmental projects and ensure stability in the war-ravaged nation.

YK Sinha, Additional Secretary in-charge of Afghanistan, led the Indian delegation at the day-long meeting while Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin and US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake led their respective delegations.

The meeting is being considered significant in diplomatic circles in the backdrop of the drawdown by Western forces from the embattled nation in 2014. Both the US and India are concerned that Afghanistan should not slip into the hands of extremist and radical forces after the drawdown.

The meeting is also understood to have discussed ways to enhance cooperation to deal with common challenges and opportunities, including combating terrorism and violent extremism and increasing regional trade and investment.

“Since India, Afghanistan and US share a common vision of a peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, this trilateral dialogue provides useful opportunity to state views on broad-based subjects that are critical for transition and transformation that are underway in Afghanistan,” Sinha said while inaugurating the meeting.

He said coordinated position based on strong conviction is “essential to ensure that we are all on the same page with respect to the situation as it unfolds in Afghanistan and the region.”