Jaishankar says ways must be found to help people of Afghanistan

The third India-Central Asia Dialogue began  in New Delhi on Sunday. In his opening remark, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, India and Central Asian countries share deep-rooted historical and civilizational ties with Afghanistan. He stressed that ways must be found to help the people of Afghanistan. He listed concerns and objectives regarding Afghanistan, including, a truly inclusive and representative government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, ensuring unhindered humanitarian assistance and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities.

Dr Jaishankar said, the platform is an opportunity to review both bilateral and regional relationships. He appreciated the support extended to India by the international community during the second wave of Covid-19, especially fron Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He said, India has supplied vaccines to more than 90 countries including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The External Affairs Minister said, India has also offered COWIN platform to assist vaccination programmes to friendly countries.

A Joint Statement released after the India-Central Asia Dialogue said, the Ministers emphasized on the civilizational, cultural, trade and people-to-people linkages between India and Central Asian countries and reaffirmed their commitment to building a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership. The sides discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the region. The Ministers reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasizing the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs. They also discussed the current humanitarian situation and decided to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of UNSC Resolution 2593 which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups. The Ministers also agreed to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan.

The Ministers agreed that through dynamic and positive changes in the countries of Central Asia, sustainable and stable development of the region as a whole will be ensured. They expressed satisfaction at the ongoing Central Asia-India cooperation in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended the Dialogue which was chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.