New Delhi: Newly-appointed US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West on Tuesday held separate talks with NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla with a broad focus on the latest developments in the war-torn country.
The issues that figured in the talks included the movement of people in and out of Afghanistan, ways to coordinate global efforts on humanitarian assistance to that country and matters of regional security, official sources said.
The outcome of the India-hosted regional conference on Afghanistan also figured in the talks besides other bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, they said.
“The discussions focussed on the current developments in Afghanistan,” said a source.
India hosted a regional security dialogue on Afghanistan on November 10 that was attended by NSAs of Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The participating countries vowed to work towards ensuring that Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for global terrorism and called for the formation of an “open and truly inclusive” government in Kabul with representation from all sections of Afghan society.
A declaration released at the end of the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan said Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts and that officials lent strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan.
Referring to the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the officials also pitched for providing assistance to the Afghan people in an unimpeded, direct and assured manner.
