With Afghanistan in focus, NSA Ajit Doval to meet his Russian counterpart in New Delhi

New Delhi, Sept 7: India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will meet Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev on Wednesday in New Delhi. He will arrive here on Tuesday evening. This meeting comes amid the tension in Afghanistan after it fell into the hands of the Taliban last month.

 

 

According to the reports, he is visiting India for High-Level India-Russia Inter-Governmental Consultations on Afghanistan from 7-8 September 2021. The Russian NSA is a very close confidant of President Vladimir Putin. It should be noted that the Consultations are a follow-up to the telephone conversation between PM Narendra Modi and Putin.

 

 

In the telephonic conversation, the two leaders had expressed the view that it was important for the two strategic partners to work together and instructed their senior officials to remain in touch on Afghanistan.

 

 

Besides, Doval had recently hosted the 11th Meeting of the BRICS High Representatives Responsible for National Security through video conferencing on August 31. His Russian counterpart was also present in the meeting.

 

 

India raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and activities of groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed at the meeting of BRICS representatives responsible for national security and said these groups "enjoy state support" and threaten peace and security.