India raised safe return of nationals during first contact with Taliban

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a high-level group comprising of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior officials in view of the evolving situation in Afghanistan. The group also has to focus that Afghan territory is not used in any manner for terrorism directed against India.  The group has also been monitoring the ground situation in Afghanistan and international reactions, including the Resolution passed this morning by the UN Security Council.

On the other hand, India on Tuesday raised with the Taliban the safe return of Indian nationals still in Afghanistan and concerns about Afghan soil being for anti-India activities during the first formal diplomatic contact between the two sides. India’s ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, flagged these issues when he met Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha. The meeting was held at the Indian embassy in Doha, on the request of the Taliban side, the external affairs ministry said in a brief statement. The Taliban representative assured the ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed, the statement said without giving details.

Meanwhile,China asked the Taliban to combat all forms of terrorist forces and form an open, inclusive government that follows moderate policies to get international recognition as the Taliban took complete control of Kabul after the US troops left Afghanistan on Tuesday ending America’s two-decade-old war. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a media briefing in Beijing, criticised US’ military intervention in Afghanistan. However, when asked whether China is ready to recognise the Taliban as a legitimate authority in the country,

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stopped short of saying it directly and hoped that Afghanistan can combat all forms of terrorist forces and live in harmony with other countries, live up to the aspiration of its own people and the international community.“China will continue to maintain close communication and coordination with all parties in Afghanistan and the world to support Afghanistan and provide assistance to help Afghanistan to restore peace, rebuild the economy, combat terrorist groups including ETIM and integrate into the international community,” he said.