Afghanistan chief negotiator Abdullah Abdullah meets with NSA Ajit Doval

Abdullah Abdullah, the chief peace negotiator of Afghanistan with the Taliban on Wednesday met with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval who assured him of India's full support to the peace process in Afghanistan.

Abdullah Abdullah, the chief peace negotiator of Afghanistan with the Taliban on Wednesday met with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval who assured him of India's full support to the peace process in Afghanistan. The Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan who is here on a five-day visit said the meeting with Doval was "constructive" and that the latter had assured him of India is in favour of a "democratic and sovereign Afghanistan, where no terrorists can operate".

"Had a constructive discussion with HE Ajit Doval, the NSA of India. We discussed the Afghan Peace Process, & the talks in Doha. He assured me of India's full support for the peace efforts, & that any peace settlement acceptable to Afghans, will have the support of India," read a tweet from Abdullah. "He further stated that his country is in favour of an independent, democratic, sovereign & peaceful Afghanistan, where no terrorists can operate. I thanked India for the invitation, its continued support for Afghanistan, & its constructive role in peace efforts," he added.

This is the first visit of Abdullah to India after the formation of a new government in Afghanistan. His visit comes at a time when the Afghanistan government and Taliban are trying to negotiate a deal in order to restore peace in the country. Abdullah Abdullah had last week visited Pakistan and discussed the Afghan peace process with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister, and other Pakistani officials.

The peace talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban began on September 12 in Qatar's capital Doha to end decades of war in which tens of thousands have been killed. Violence, however, has not abated in the country even as Afghan negotiators have been engaged in direct talks for the first time.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had participated in the opening ceremony of Afghan peace negotiations in Doha through video conferencing and reiterated that the peace process should be Afghan-led and ensure the interests of minorities and women. He said that Afghan soil should never be used for carrying out anti-India activities and supported the need for an immediate ceasefire in order to establish long-lasting peace in Afghanistan.

On September 25, Jaishankar had met former Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum and said India remains fully committed to an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled peace process. (ANI)

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