NEW DELHI: Russia has backed India's efforts to host a regional conference on Afghanistan next week with the 2 sides currently in close touch to facilitate participation by Russian NSA Nikolay Patrushev. While an official confirmation is still awaited, sources said Moscow has been supportive of India's initiative even though the Taliban have not been invited for the meeting.
Patrushev had visited India in September for a high-level inter-governmental dialogue on Afghanistan and his participation in the upcoming conference, which will be hosted by NSA Ajit Doval, will be significant for India given the key role Russia is playing in Afghanistan right now. As TOI had first reported on October 16, India proposed its own conference on Afghanistan last month amid mounting concerns over the security situation and also the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
Russia has been encouraging India to engage with Taliban and was pleased with the recent meeting between the Indian delegation and Taliban on the margins of Moscow Format talks. Presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov said last week the meeting was a sign that "regional consensus has actually matured" and that such engagements would enhance mutual understanding between India and Kabul.
Sources said top officials from Iran and several central Asian countries were likely to participate in the conference. China, if at all, may join virtually and Pakistan NSA Moeed Yusuf said no to participation, calling India a "spoiler" in Afghanistan.
While the conference may yet see a "token participation" by Pakistan virtually, Yusuf's refusal to visit India suggests Islamabad will remain reluctant to facilitate any Afghanistan outreach by India.
Pakistan has so far also not acceded to India's proposal for delivering wheat and medical aid to Afghanistan through the land route. It is learnt though that Islamabad is still considering the proposal and that modalities for the movement of a large number of trucks are being worked out.
As reported by TOI on October 19, and then again on Tuesday this week, India approached Pakistan early last month with a proposal to transport 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan via the Wagah-Attari border route.
India had in 2002 proposed the same exercise for transporting wheat to Afghanistan but Pakistan then denied permission.
Significantly, the Taliban UN ambassador-designate and spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, told TOI Monday that the Kabul government was open to accepting aid from India, as indeed others, ahead of the impending winter. This followed the Taliban meeting with India in Moscow that saw the latter offering humanitarian assistance for Afghan people. For India though it's also important, as the government has repeatedly said, to involve the UN in any humanitarian aid delivery process for ensuring a "non-discriminatory" distribution.
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