India joined the inaugural session of intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha on Saturday and communicated its national position on the issue, stating that any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar participated in the session that marks the end of decades of war by bringing together the Taliban and Afghan government-appointed delegates in a historic moment. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also attended the opening ceremony in Qatar.
“India believes that any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, it must respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan,” read a statement issued by MEA.
Here is the full text of the statement from India:
The Minister of Foreign Affairs (EAM) participated in the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha on September 12, 2020 through VTC. EAM’s participation was in response to an invitation from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, HE Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
In his speech, EAM referred to the millennial relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had stood the test of time. EAM highlighted India’s role as a major development partner for Afghanistan with more than 400 projects completed in all 34 Afghanistan provinces.
EAM conveyed that India’s policy on Afghanistan had been consistent. India believes that any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and controlled, respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, and preserve the progress made in establishing an Islamic Republic. democracy in Afghanistan. The interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sectors of society must be preserved and the problem of violence must be effectively addressed throughout the country and its surroundings.
EAM wished for the success of intra-Afghan negotiations to deliver to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for: a peaceful and prosperous future in an independent and sovereign nation.
A delegation of senior officials led by Shri JP Singh, Deputy Secretary (PAI) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in the opening ceremony in Doha.
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