Venkatesh Iyer
NEW DELHI, Sep 12: India has extended a helping hand for a truce in Afghanistan at the historic ceremony marking the commencement of an important discussion between the Afghan Government and Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
Dr S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister while attending the meet virtually, iterated that the Afghan peace process should be “Afghan-led, owned and controlled by it.” It should “respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan” as well as “promote human rights and democracy”.
He also stated that the process should “ensure the interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable” & “effectively address violence across the country”.
On the topic of terrorism, Jaishankar said, “soil of Afghanistan should not be used for anti-India activities”. He highlighted how India had played a pivotal role as a development partner of Afghanistan by building several infrastructure projects in the country like India Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat & the Afghan Parliament in capital Kabul.
The people knowledgeable with the development said the first “face to face negotiation” would commence on Monday.
Prominent speakers at Saturday’s opening ceremony included Afghanistan’s Abdullah Abdullah, the Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation, Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and the United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Abdullah said “I believe that if we give hands to each other and honestly work for peace, the current on-going misery in the country will end.”
Pompeo informed the Afghan sides that “the choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make” as he urged them to “seize the opportunity” to secure peace. “Each of you, I hope you will look inside your hearts; each of you carry a great responsibility, but know that you’re not alone. The entire world wants you to succeed and is counting on you to succeed.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani the Qatari Foreign Minister said both parties must rise above all form of division by reaching an agreement based on no victor and no vanquished”.
At the start of the meeting Pompeo had tweeted “what an honor to join today’s ‘Intra-Afghan Negotiations’ in Doha. It is remarkable- and a testament to the human spirit – that the pain and patterns of destruction are no match for the enduring hopes for peace held by the Afghan people, and their many friends.”
Again at the end of the meeting he tweeted, “pleased to meet Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman and Foreign Minister in Doha at the launch of historic peace negotiations. The Afghan People yearn for peace and have never been this close to ending 40 years of war.”
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom tweeted “the People of Afghanistan deserve to live in peace and security. It is my fervent hope that today’s peace talks lead to a more stable and prosperous future and I urge the parties to negotiate in good faith.”
