U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Visits Delhi
By IAR DeskIndia has contributed more than$2 billion for Afghan reconstruction and majorly in Afghan civil capacity building. It is worried all the gains made may unravel
U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad visited New Delhi May 6-7 for consultations with Indian government officials and other stakeholders on the Afghan peace process. Ambassador Khalilzad met with Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, and India’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar, among others.
A US Embassy statement said that during his meetings, Ambassador Khalilzad welcomed expressions of support for the Afghan peace process, which strengthens an emerging international consensus for peace efforts. He also recognized the many important contributions India has made to Afghanistan’s development.
Ambassador Khalilzad and his counterparts discussed the many important benefits that peace would bring, including: preventing International terrorist use of Afghanistan as a platform for attacks; improved prospects for regional peace and security; and increased regional connectivity and trade.
“I appreciate India’s expression of support for our efforts; it strengthens an emerging international consensus. We agreed on important benefits peace will bring: addressing the threat of terrorist use of Afghanistan; increased regional connectivity & trade,” the Special Envoy tweeted.
Khalilzad is back in the region since 29th April May where, after visits to Kabul and Islamabad, he conducted another round of negotiations with the Taliban in Doha. Negotiations ended inconclusively as the Taliban have not watered down any of their key demands: non-negotiation with the Afghan government, non-recognition of the Afghan constitution, withdrawal of foreign troops and an interim government.
The talks in Doha have also come in the backdrop of renewed violence in Afghanistan, with the launch of the Taliban’s spring offensive this time codenamed ‘Fateh’.
In Doha, following the talks Khalilzad had tweeted “Peace will require that we find common-ground on four inter-connected issues: troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism assurances, intra-Afghan dialogue & negotiations, and reduction in violence leading to a comprehensive ceasefire.”
Intra-Afghan dialogue continues to remain elusive. Even as the current round of US-Taliban talks were underway in Doha President Ashraf Ghani convened a Loyal Jirga with around 3200 delegates from across Afghanistan attending it. The jirga ended with a resolution calling for a comprehensive ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks.
Nevertheless, some key players like Afghan CEO in the National Unity government Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai boycotting the Jirga, which some analysts say have ensured the jirga’s failure.
President Ghani remains opposed to direct talks between the US representative and the Taliban, and the formation of any interim government, believing that the Taliban should talk with the Afghan government without any conditions. President Ghani has even reached out to Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.
In Delhi Ambassador Khalilzad and his counterparts also discussed that Afghanistan’s political future is for Afghans to decide through an inclusive and legitimate process. They also agreed that Afghan gains of the last 18 years must be preserved and built upon. Ambassador Khalilzad will continue to consult with Indian counterparts as the peace process moves forward.
The Indian government remains committed to it’s stated policy of talking to the government in Kabul and that any peace process should be ‘Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afhhan-contolled.
India has till now shunned any negotiations with the Taliban, which it believes is to a large extent Pakistan’s proxies, but in November last year sent observers to Moscow conference on Afghanistan, where representatives of the Taliban were also present. It also views with alarm the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, fearing it would allow the country to immediately descend into further chaos.
However, on the eve of his visit to the region, Khalilzad had reached what he described as a ‘milestone’ consensus with Russia and China, both of whom have reached an agreement with Washington on “the US approach to end the war AND assurances terrorism never again emanates from #Afghanistan,” according to Khalilzad.
India has contributed more than $2 billion in Afghan reconstruction and has majorly contributed to civilian capacity building. It is worried that with a US withdrawal from the region all the gains made may unravel.
