It is to be noted that India did not recognise the Taliban government when the terrorist group was in power between 1996 and 2001.
The much-anticipated peace deal between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban was signed in Qatar's Doha on Saturday. Envoys of more than 30 countries, including India, attended the ceremony.
The deal was signed by US Special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The peace agreement will pave the way for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. American soldiers have been in the country fighting against the Taliban for the last 18 years.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would witness the signing of the agreement, meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will issue a joint declaration with the government of Afghanistan, announced President Donald Trump.
A number of foreign envoys are expected to attend the event, including India's Ambassador to Qatar, P Kumaran, and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. This will be the first time that New Delhi will officially be represented at an event.
It is to be noted that India did not recognise the Taliban government when the terrorist group was in power between 1996 and 2001.
Ahead of the deal signing, India's Foreign Secretary Harsha Vardhan Shringla on Friday met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other leaders in Kabul to convey India's support for Afghans.
Shringla handed over a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Afghan leader's victory in the presidential election. The President appreciated India's consistent support for democracy and constitutional order in Afghanistan.
The US and Taliban negotiators had agreed earlier this week to finalise the pact on February 29 if a seven-day cooling-off period passed off peacefully. The truce came into effect on Friday night.
Ahead of the signing, the Taliban had agreed to implement a "Reduction in violence" which began on February 22 as a Confidence Building Measure (CBM), something that assured the Americans that the Taliban are willing to sign the deal.
Trump had said he would put his name on the peace deal with the Taliban if a week went by without major violence in Afghanistan.
However, experts are not yet sure if the agreement will kickstart an era of peace in Afghanistan. America will make a big deal out of this agreement as it is election season in the United States, they added.
US President Donald Trump, who is fighting to be re-elected this year, will claim that he kept his promise of getting American troops out of Afghanistan.
The US, which currently has between 12,000 and 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, could draw that number down to 8,600 within months of the agreement being signed. In exchange, the Taliban will promise to not provide any shelter to foreign terrorist groups like the Al-Qaeda and begin negotiations with civilian politicians and community leaders.
(With agency inputs)
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 "US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar sign")
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