KABUL – Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab received Indian Ambassador to Kabul Rudrendra Tandon and had a wide-ranging discussion on the Afghan peace process and economic cooperation today.

Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister congratulated India for successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccine. The Indian Ambassador assured Mr. Nab that Afghanistan is high on the list of countries to receive the vaccine.

Discussing the Afghan peace, Minister Nab touched on the importance of the ceasefire in the second round of Afghan peace talks in Doha. 

The two sides deliberated on development projects and economic cooperation, especially the Shahtoot Dam.

Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon assured Deputy and Acting Minister Nab of the Indian government’s continued commitment to supporting Afghan peace and economic development.

KABUL – The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met this afternoon with the National Security Advisor to India's Prime Minister, Mr. Ajit Kumar Doval, to discuss the ongoing peace talks in Doha and India's potential contributions to the success of the Afghan peace process.

Welcoming Mr. Doval to Afghanistan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked India for its unflinching support to Afghanistan's government and people concerning peace, trade, and economic development.

Mr. Atmar underlined the importance of the Kabul-Delhi partnership and cooperation on regional security and preservation of gains made during the last twenty years in Afghanistan. He reiterated Kabul's position on an end-state to peace that must be acceptable for Afghanistan, its neighbors, and international partners.

The National Security Advisor to the Indian Prime Minister discussed his views about countering insurgent groups and shed light on the presence of international terrorist outfits in the region and how they could potentially affect lasting peace in Afghanistan.

The two sides agreed to continue their joint efforts to sustain and strengthen regional and international consensus for reaching a sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

KABUL – The Islamic religious scholars and Ulema from various Islamic institutions in India and Afghanistan, in a gathering titled “The First Gathering of the Islamic Scholars of Afghanistan and India” held Wednesday, December the 30th 2020, at (IICC) Centre in New Delhi, issued a declaration calling the current war in Afghanistan as “illegitimate” and contrary to the teachings of Islam.

The declaration also stated that “targeting of civilian institutions and public infrastructures by the Taliban goes against the basic teachings of Islam and therefore it is illegitimate and has no religious justification.”

The full text of the declaration is as follows:

Joint Declaration of the Islamic Scholars of Afghanistan and India on the War in Afghanistan

New Delhi, December 30^th, 2020

• Islam is a religion of peace and it urges harmony and unity among Muslims, hence we call on both warring parties in Afghanistan to stop war and declare and immediate nationwide ceasefire
• The war and violence perpetrated against the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and targeting of civilian institutions and public infrastructures by the Taliban goes against the basic teachings of Islam and therefore it is illegitimate and has no religious justification.
• We call on both the Taliban and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to rise to the occasion and seize this rare opportunity to accelerate their negotiations for establishing a just and lasting peace in Afghanistan.
• We support the steps taken by the government of Afghanistan to pave the way for reaching an enduring peace.
• In the past 19 years Afghanistan has made remarkable progress in various spheres, we urge that these hard-gained achievements to be preserved and protected.
• We call on other Ulema and Islamic scholars to come forward in support of the peace process in Afghanistan and raise their voice against the heinous attacks on innocent people and to call on the Taliban to agree to a nationwide ceasefire and embrace peace.

KABUL – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar had a telephone conversation with his Indian counterpart H.E. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Tuesday evening.

At the outset, Minister Atmar expressed his appreciation to the people and government of Indian Republic for their continued cooperation and commitment to Afghanistan over the past two decades, particularly India’s generous financial pledge in the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva.

The two sides reflected on a number of issues including, the recent developments in peace talks and the progress made with Taliban on rules of procedures, the inauguration of High Council for National Reconciliation, and regional and international support for the success of the peace process. They also discussed reduction of violence, the need for the establishment of a meaningful ceasefire, preserving the gains of the past 19 years, addressing issues related to the Afghan refugees in India, and expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Subsequently, Minister Jaishankar congratulated Minister Atmar on the successful convening of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan and emphasized on India’s continued support for peace talks and preservation of Afghanistan’s democratic gains.

In closing, both sides stressed on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

KABUL – Earlier this week India delivered the last instalment of the donated 75000 metric tons of wheat as aid for Afghan citizens.

Afghanistan appreciates this aid at a time when humanitarian emergency is emerging due to the pandemic restricting some citizens’ access to basic food staples such as wheat. This aid has arrived Afghanistan in a timely manner.

The wheat came through Chabahar port, highlighting its utility in linking Afghanistan with the region for both imports and exports.

KABUL – Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mohammad Haneef Atmar attended the India – Central Asia Dialogue, held via video-conference, yesterday afternoon. In this meeting the foreign ministers of India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic participated. 

The foreign ministers exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including economic, political, security, trade and transit, the importance of regional connectivity on security and prosperity, humanitarian and cultural affairs as well as on other regional and international issues.

The Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan in his speech thanked the participating countries for their continued commitment and cooperation to Afghanistan for the past two decades as well as their support from the Afghanistan peace process. Mr. Atmar added that regional consensus is vital in preservation of the democratic achievements and peaceful settlement of violence and success of the peace talks in Afghanistan.

The participating states renewed their commitment and support to the Afghanistan peace talks and the preservation of the achievements of the past 19 years in Afghanistan.

The participants called this meeting an important platform to further strengthen cooperation between India and Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan.

KABUL – Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the Russian Ambassador to Kabul, Mr. Dmitry Zhirnov, this evening.

At the outset, the Acting Foreign Minister thanked Russia for its continued support to the Afghan peace process. He also expressed his appreciation for Russian cooperation with Afghanistan over the past nineteen years.

The two sides discussed issues surrounding Afghanistan Peace Negotiations, including the removal of hurdles to peace talks, the need for a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire, reduction of violence and a credible monitoring mechanism, preparations for the Geneva Pledging Conference on Afghanistan, and preservation of the gains of the past two decades.

Mr. Zhirnov said that his government strongly supported Afghanistan’s peace process.

In closing, both sides stressed the importance of further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.

KABUL – Mirwais Nab, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, met with Mr. Raghuram S. the Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of India in Kabul, Wednesday afternoon.

The two sides exchanged views on the progress of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations, the need for violence reduction and a humanitarian ceasefire, preservation of the past 19 years' achievements, and building regional consensus on the Afghan peace process. They further discussed the expansion of trade and transit, regional connectivity, and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Deputy Minister Nab thanked India's people and government for their comprehensive cooperation with Afghanistan over the past 19 years.

The Charge d'Affaires of India reaffirmed his government's support for the Afghan peace process and assured Mr. Nab on bilateral cooperation between the two countries.