India foreign secretary visits Afghanistan ahead of US-Taliban deal

Ahead of the US-Taliban peace deal, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla paid a day-long visit to Kabul on Friday to convey support to the Afghan people in their pursuit of sustainable peace, security and development, the MEA said.
Shringla held talks with acting foreign minister Haroon Chakhansuri and also NSA Hamdullah Mohib. He also called on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and handed over a congratulatory letter from PM Narendra Modi.Ghani appreciated India’s consistent support for democracy and constitutional order in Afghanistan.
Shringla also called on Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. Shringla and Abdullah agreed that independent, sovereign, democratic, pluralistic and inclusive Afghanistan would promote peace and prosperity in the region, the MEA said.
The foreign secretary assessed developments in the country ahead of the peace deal which will be signed in Doha on Saturday and reiterated India’s commitment to stand with Afghanistan as the latter pursues reconciliation. Shringla also underscored the point that India was not in favour of any hurried troop withdrawal by the US and any peace process must also insist on eliminating terror sanctuaries. Mohib expressed appreciation for India’s training and medical facilities for Afghan national defence and security forces.
As an important stakeholder in Afghanistan, India had warned the Trump administration during the president’s visit to India that a hasty drawdown could exacerbate the situation instead of improving it. India has asked its ambassador to Qatar P Kumaran to attend the signing of the peace deal which Pakistan claims to have facilitated and which is seen as suggesting an end to the war that has lasted for 19 years. While India continues to support an Afghan-led and -owned peace and reconciliation process that results in sustainable peace, it also insists that the process lead to elimination of terror safe havens.