India to always stand by Afghans, says Ajit Doval at Moscow meeting

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, February 8

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday said India would never abandon the Afghan people in their time of need.

“India is and will remain an important stakeholder in Afghanistan. We have always stood by people of Afghanistan and will always support collective efforts to help Afghan people build a prosperous and vibrant nation once again,” said Doval while participating in the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/ National Security Advisers on Afghanistan in Moscow on Wednesday.

Terrorism has become a major threat in the region. Dealing with Daesh and terror outfits like LeT and JeM requires intensified intelligence and security cooperation between respective states and their agencies. In this respect, the NSA reaffirmed the importance of UNSCR 2593 (2021) that calls for terror outfits, including those designated by UNSCR 1267, to be denied sanctuary in the region.

He also stressed the point that no country should be allowed to use Afghan territory to export terrorism and radicalisation. Natural resources of Afghanistan should be utilised first for welfare of people of Afghanistan.

Apart from the host country, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were represented at the meeting. Various issues were discussed, including the security situation and humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan, said sources here.

The 3rd round of this conference was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Doval in November 2021. The 4th meeting was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in May 2022.

On helping Afghanistan, the NSA said India had focused on food security and medical supplies.