NSA Ajit Doval attend meet in Moscow

Moscow, Feb 09: India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval emphasized the need for intensified intelligence and security cooperation to tackle Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) while participating in a multilateral meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said.

 

 

 

The fifth multilateral meeting of senior security officials of regional countries focused on various issues related to Afghanistan, including the security situation and humanitarian challenges. Doval made it clear India “will never abandon the Afghan people in their time of need”, the people said.

 

 

 

Doval pointed out that terrorism has become a major threat in the region, and that dealing with Daesh or Islamic State, LeT and JeM requires “intensified intelligence and security cooperation” between states and their agencies, the people said. The Indian side reaffirmed the importance of UN Security Council resolution 2593 of 2021, which calls for terror groups, especially those sanctioned under UN Security Council resolution 1267, to be denied sanctuary in the region. Daesh, LeT, and JeM have all been designated under this resolution. Several UN reports have said thousands of LeT, JeM, and Daesh fighters are currently in Afghanistan. Daesh has carried out a string of brazen attacks against the Hazara Shia minority and targeted the Russian and Pakistani embassies in Kabul. According to the people, Doval made it clear no country should be allowed to use Afghan territory to “export terrorism and radicalization” – an apparent reference to Pakistan. The natural resources of Afghanistan should be used first for the welfare of the Afghan people, Doval is understood to have told the meeting against the backdrop of China inking deals with the Taliban setup to exploit mineral resources. The people said that Doval further called for an inclusive and representative dispensation in the larger interest of Afghan society. According to the people, Doval noted Afghanistan is passing through a difficult phase, and the well-being and humanitarian needs of the Afghan people are New Delhi’s foremost priority. India’s historic and special relationship with Afghanistan will continue to guide the country’s approach. The Indian side is focusing on food security and medical supplies and has delivered 40,000 tonnes of wheat, 60 tonnes of medicines, 28 tonnes of disaster relief, 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, and winter clothing. The “technical team” deployed at India’s embassy in Kabul is overseeing humanitarian assistance programs, and new scholarships were granted to 2,260 Afghan students, including 300 girls, in the past two years.

 

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Doval emphasized that India “is and will remain an important stakeholder in Afghanistan”, and will always support collective efforts to help the Afghan people build a prosperous nation, the people said. The meeting was attended by top security officials of Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The third such meeting was hosted by India in November 2021, and the fourth was held in Tajikistan in May 2022.