India to attend Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan in Russia on September 29

India will attend the new Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan in the Russian city of Kazan on September 29 eyeing to safeguard its strategic interests and push for an inclusive government that serves rights of all sections of the society.

The meeting will call for creation of an inclusive government in Kabul that represents the interests of all sections and ethnic groups of Afghan society, according to the host Russia. India will be part of the meeting, ET has learnt.

Last November, participants of the Moscow format, including India, had sent a strong message to the Taliban at the meeting to fulfill its commitments to eradicate terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from its territory. They had also urged the Taliban to take more visible steps against all terrorist organizations, and to firmly fight, dismantle and eliminate them.

The importance of forming a truly inclusive government in Afghanistan, reflecting the interests of all major ethno-political groups of the country was also emphasized at that meeting reflecting a long-standing position of India and some Central Asian states. The importance of practical engagement with Afghanistan in this regard was also highlighted by the participants.

India has long desired inclusion of Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras in the power structure in Kabul.

India was represented at that meeting by joint secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran), ministry of external affairs (MEA) JP Singh. Interestingly, the Taliban was not invited to the meet.

The participants of the meeting had discussed the current situation in Afghanistan with an emphasis on regional security, military-political stability, socio-economic and humanitarian issues, officials said. The participating countries had also reiterated their commitment to a peaceful, unified, sovereign, independent and economically developing Afghanistan, free from the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking.

Several of the designated individuals have also planned or carried out attacks that targeted journalists and local authorities, according to Miller.

“The United States will continue to deter and disrupt financial and other support for terrorist attacks in Maldives”, he said adding, the US is committed to denying funding and resources to these terrorist support networks and countering the local and international threats they pose.

The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), comprising India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius, has been prioritising deradicalisation in the Indian Ocean Region as one of its objectives.

The objectives of CSC include maritime safety and security, countering terrorism and radicalisation, combating trafficking and transnational organised crime, cyber security, protection of critical infrastructure and technology, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.