‘New Reality Of Practical Engagement Separate From Official Recognition Of Taliban Government’

NEW DELHI: On ‘Talking Point’, Ambassador P.S. Raghavan, Former Head, National Security Advisory Board and India’s Ex-Envoy to Russia and Ambassador Amar Sinha, Former Member, National Security Advisory Board and India’s Former Envoy to Afghanistan and Tajikistan in analysis with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi.

The panellists discuss the ‘Moscow Format’ talks between 10 countries and the Taliban government. The U.S. didn’t attend the meetings in Moscow. Taliban Deputy Information and Broadcasting Minister and Spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that India talked about humanitarian aid in a meeting between the two delegations led by Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi and J.P. Singh, Joint Secretary for Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran, Ministry of External Affairs. The Russian Foreign Ministry released a ‘Joint Statement’ of 9 countries that said, “It was stated that further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community.” Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his delegation travelled to Kabul and met the Taliban government leadership on October 21.