Tag: India Afghanistan ties

  • India to send 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Iran’s Chabahar port

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and five central Asian countries on Tuesday asserted that Afghani soil must not be used for any terrorist activities even as New Delhi announced a fresh tranche of 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan which will be sent through the Chabahar Port in Iran.

    The first meeting of the India-Central Asia joint working group on Afghanistan in New Delhi also witnessed a resolve by the participating countries exploring ways to jointly counter threats of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation and drug trafficking in the region.

    A joint statement said the meeting emphasized the importance of the formation of a “truly inclusive and representative political structure” that respects the rights of all Afghans and ensures equal rights of women, girls and members of minority groups, including access to education.

    In December, India joined several other leading countries in criticising the Taliban’s decision to ban university education for women in Afghanistan, The joint statement said India announced the supply of 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat assistance to Afghanistan in partnership with the UN World Food Programme through Chabahar Port.

    Months after the Taliban captured power in Kabul in August 2021, India had announced an assistance of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghan people as they were reeling under a severe food crisis.

    Subsequently, the consignments were sent to Afghanistan using the land route through Pakistan.

    Islamabad had granted the transit facility after months of discussions.

    The joint statement said the officials at the deliberations discussed regional threats of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation and drug trafficking and also deliberated on the possibilities to coordinate efforts to counter these threats.

    It said they emphasised that the “territory of Afghanistan should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts and reaffirmed that no terrorist organizations including those designated by the UNSC resolution 1267 should be provided sanctuary or allowed to use the territory of Afghanistan.”

    Besides host India, the meeting was attended by special envoys or senior officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

    Country representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) also participated in the meeting.

    The joint statement said the officials exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan, including the political, security and humanitarian aspects.

    “While emphasising the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs, the sides reiterated support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan,” it said.

    It said the country representative of the UNWFP in Afghanistan briefed the participants on the India-UNWFP partnership to deliver foodgrain assistance to Afghan people and made a presentation on the current humanitarian situation, including the aid requirements for the year ahead.

    “The sides took note of the current humanitarian situation and agreed to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people,” the statement said. It said the country representative of the UNODC in Afghanistan highlighted the partnership of India and UNODC in fighting the menace of narcotics in Afghanistan and thanked New Delhi for “providing humanitarian aid for the Afghan drug user population.”

    “Upon their request, India offered capacity building training courses for the relevant stakeholders/partner agencies of UNODC and the relevant officials/stakeholders of Central Asian Republics in the field of countering illegal drug trafficking,” the statement said.

    Moreover, India and UNODC also agreed to partner for the efforts to counter drug trafficking, including the efforts for rehabilitation of the Afghan drug user population, especially the Afghan women and providing assistance in the development of alternate livelihood opportunities, a press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

    The joint statement said the participants thanked India for holding the first Joint Working Group Meeting on Afghanistan at senior officials level and agreed to continue consultations in this format on a regular basis.

    India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

    India has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.

    In June last year, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a “technical team” in its embassy in the Afghan capital.

    India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 following concerns over their security.

    NEW DELHI: India and five central Asian countries on Tuesday asserted that Afghani soil must not be used for any terrorist activities even as New Delhi announced a fresh tranche of 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan which will be sent through the Chabahar Port in Iran.

    The first meeting of the India-Central Asia joint working group on Afghanistan in New Delhi also witnessed a resolve by the participating countries exploring ways to jointly counter threats of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation and drug trafficking in the region.

    A joint statement said the meeting emphasized the importance of the formation of a “truly inclusive and representative political structure” that respects the rights of all Afghans and ensures equal rights of women, girls and members of minority groups, including access to education.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In December, India joined several other leading countries in criticising the Taliban’s decision to ban university education for women in Afghanistan, The joint statement said India announced the supply of 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat assistance to Afghanistan in partnership with the UN World Food Programme through Chabahar Port.

    Months after the Taliban captured power in Kabul in August 2021, India had announced an assistance of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghan people as they were reeling under a severe food crisis.

    Subsequently, the consignments were sent to Afghanistan using the land route through Pakistan.

    Islamabad had granted the transit facility after months of discussions.

    The joint statement said the officials at the deliberations discussed regional threats of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation and drug trafficking and also deliberated on the possibilities to coordinate efforts to counter these threats.

    It said they emphasised that the “territory of Afghanistan should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts and reaffirmed that no terrorist organizations including those designated by the UNSC resolution 1267 should be provided sanctuary or allowed to use the territory of Afghanistan.”

    Besides host India, the meeting was attended by special envoys or senior officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

    Country representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) also participated in the meeting.

    The joint statement said the officials exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan, including the political, security and humanitarian aspects.

    “While emphasising the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs, the sides reiterated support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan,” it said.

    It said the country representative of the UNWFP in Afghanistan briefed the participants on the India-UNWFP partnership to deliver foodgrain assistance to Afghan people and made a presentation on the current humanitarian situation, including the aid requirements for the year ahead.

    “The sides took note of the current humanitarian situation and agreed to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people,” the statement said. It said the country representative of the UNODC in Afghanistan highlighted the partnership of India and UNODC in fighting the menace of narcotics in Afghanistan and thanked New Delhi for “providing humanitarian aid for the Afghan drug user population.”

    “Upon their request, India offered capacity building training courses for the relevant stakeholders/partner agencies of UNODC and the relevant officials/stakeholders of Central Asian Republics in the field of countering illegal drug trafficking,” the statement said.

    Moreover, India and UNODC also agreed to partner for the efforts to counter drug trafficking, including the efforts for rehabilitation of the Afghan drug user population, especially the Afghan women and providing assistance in the development of alternate livelihood opportunities, a press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

    The joint statement said the participants thanked India for holding the first Joint Working Group Meeting on Afghanistan at senior officials level and agreed to continue consultations in this format on a regular basis.

    India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

    India has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.

    In June last year, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a “technical team” in its embassy in the Afghan capital.

    India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 following concerns over their security.

  • Third tranche of 2000 MT wheat leaves India for Afghanistan

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday sent 2,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat to Afghanistan, as a part of its humanitarian aid to the neighbouring country. India has committed to provide 50,000 MT of wheat, which will be distributed by the UN World Food Programme.

    The first tranche of 2,500 MT was sent on February 22. Earlier this month, India dispatched the second shipment of 2,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan.

    Interestingly, a Taliban official had recently condemned Pakistan for providing low-quality wheat and complimented the wheat donated by India. A video had gone viral on Twitter and other social media platforms in which the official is heard slamming Pakistan for sending poor quality of wheat.

    Wheat donated by Pakistan to Afghanistan All Pakistani wheat is worn out and spoiled that can not be used,India has always helped Afghanistan and very honestly !Thanks IndiaPakistan. India pic.twitter.com/OvzOhxVhIH
    — Najib Farhodi (@NajibFarhodi1) March 4, 2022
    Another activist from Afghanistan shared similar thoughts on the quality of wheat that Pakistan had sent to Afghanistan. “Wheat donated by Pakistan is all worn out and spoilt… India has always helped Afghanistan and very honestly,” tweeted Najib Farhodi, a political activist from Afghanistan. 

  • Afghan envoy to India meets Army chief General MM Naravane, discusses bilateral defence cooperation

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As the US prepares to pull out its troops from Afghanistan after two decades of stay, India has assured the war-ravaged country of its continued support, particularly to the Afghan security forces, people familiar with the development said.

    They said that the issue figured prominently at a meeting between Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay and Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane on Wednesday. Mamundzay and Gen. Naravane discussed bilateral defence cooperation, particularly capacity building and India’s medical support to treat the injured Afghan security personnel.

    India promised continuation of its support to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), said one of the people cited above. “The Afghan National Defence & Security Forces have developed great capacity & strength over the past 20 years,” Mamundzay wrote on Twitter.

    The Afghan National Defense & Security Forces have developed great capacity & strength over the past 20 years. ANDSF still require timely support to further build a professional,capable & self-sustaining security forces. Thank you #India & COAS Gen.Naravane for supporting #ANDSF. pic.twitter.com/0J7PlFsu4V
    — Farid Mamundzay फरीद मामुन्दजई فرید ماموندزی (@FMamundzay) April 21, 2021

    “ANDSF still require timely support to further build a professional, capable & self-sustaining security forces. Thank you #India & COAS Gen. Naravane for supporting #ANDSF,” he said.

    In a significant announcement, US President Biden on Wednesday said the American troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11, which would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.

    The US has lost more than 2,000 personnel in the war triggered by the terror strikes carried out by the al-Qaeda in 2001. The US announcement has resulted in hectic consultations among the key stakeholders about the Afghan peace process.

    On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed to his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Hanif Atmar that India will always stand with the people of Afghanistan. Following the telephonic conversation, Jaishankar said the role of neighbours in the Afghan peace process figured in his conversation with Atmar.

    There have been renewed global efforts to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan. Russia recently organised a conference in Moscow, where all major stakeholders were invited to brainstorm over ways to move forward in the peace process.

    India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process that is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.