India will be represented in a ‘non-official’ level at the talks, which may mean a retired diplomat may attend
For the first time perhaps, India will sit across a Taliban delegation to discuss return of peace and stability in the war torn Afghanistan. Russia is convening a conference of leading regional powers of Afghanistan on Friday in Moscow. It has invited representatives from Central Asian Republics, India, Pakistan, China, the US and Iran besides Afghanistan. Confirming participation in the conference, official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar, said that India would be represented at the "non-official level". He, however, did not elaborate further. It is expected that a retired diplomat with experience in Afghanistan will fly to attend the conference.
Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a government body responsible for reconciliation efforts with terrorists, will send four representatives to the peace talks. The Taliban's political office has also confirmed its participation, though they said it does not regard the process as a "formal dialogue for peace". Pakistan has also confirmed its participation.
In a statement issued this week, the Taliban said, "Taliban political envoys will attend the meeting but the participation does not mean they will hold talks with anyone. This is a meeting to debate the current situation in Afghanistan."
Efforts by the US to bring the Taliban to the peace table have for years have ended in a deadlock, as the terror outfit insisted on negotiating directly with Washington rather than the Afghan government.
Official spokesperson here said that India has always supported peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan to preserve its unity and plurality. "India's consistent policy has been that such efforts should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled and with participation of Government of Afghanistan," Kumar said. India's last interaction with Taliban had been to end the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 which was taken to Kandahar in 1999, when the terror group was ruling the country.
Originally the meeting was scheduled for September 4 in Moscow, but Afghanistan refused to attend citing that any such discussions should be Afghan-led. In August, the Afghan government announced that Afghanistan and Russia would co-chair proposed future talks in Moscow on Afghanistan's peace.
As recently as late October, U.S. and Taliban officials have conducted preliminary talks in Qatar, where the militants have a political office that serves as a de-facto embassy. Also on November 6, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells was in Islamabad where she discussed peace and stability in Afghanistan with Pakistani officials, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino also confirmed the US embassy in Moscow would send a representative to Friday's meeting.
THE PARTICIPANTS
- India will be represented in a ‘non-official’ level at the talks, which may mean a retired diplomat may attend.
- Afghanistan’s High Peace Council will send four representatives.
- Taliban’s political office has also confirmed its participation, as has Pakistan.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Raveesh Kumar")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}