New Delhi: India has expressed willingness to garner regional and international support for the intra-Afghanistan peace process and reiterated that it would egg on Afghanistan’s position in the negotiations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who had a telephonic conversation with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Thursday, reaffirmed India’s support for Afghanistan’s position in the negotiations and the peace process.
India not only supports the peace process in Afghanistan, but it is also willing to garner regional and international support for the peace process in Afghanistan, Jaishankar told Atmar.
Referring to the historical and traditional position of the Loya Jirga in Afghanistan, the External Affairs Minister said its decisions were useful and effective for the realization of lasting peace in the country.
Both the countries stressed the importance of preserving and strengthening relations and the start of flights between Kabul and Delhi in the near future, taking into account the Corona Virus health regime and the norms of the International Aviation Organization (ICAO), sources said here on Friday.
They also discussed the strengthening of the emerging regional consensus on the peaceful end to the conflict in Afghanistan, ensuring that the Taliban end violence and adhere to humanitarian ceasefire and that the release of prisoners is complete.
Atmar expressed appreciation for India’s continued support to Afghanistan’s position as the peace process and negotiations with the Taliban progress, specially India’s support of the outcome of the Consultative Jirga Peace.
Meanwhile, Germany has offered to host the intra-Afghan peace negotiations, in coordination with international partners, if agreed to by both the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban.
The offer was made by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister.
The intra-Afghan peace talks could commence three days after the process of prisoner swap between the Afghan government and Taliban is concluded. Afghanistan’s State Ministry on Peace Affairs on Thursday said talks regarding the release of the controversial Taliban prisoners and the release of the Afghan government hostages are moving ahead.
Spokeswoman for the State Ministry on Peace Affairs Najia Anwari told Tolonews that the Afghan government is willing to enter the talks once security officials in custody of the Taliban are released.
“Following this issue (completion of prisoner swap) and after the release of the hostages of the Afghan security and defense forces kept with the Taliban, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will enter into dialogue with the Taliban,” Anwari said.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry has also said talks are underway with Australian and French authorities regarding the release of six Taliban prisoners.
