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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Indian officials
US Defense Secretary General Lloyd Austin held talks this weekend with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and foreign minister S Jaishankar where they discussed the Afghanistan situation.
“Afghanistan was addressed in some detail. Assessments were exchanged on the peace process and the ground situation, and also the concerns and interests of regional powers and neighbours,” sources told India media outlets.
The meeting comes amid efforts by the US to accelerate the Afghan peace process.
The meeting also comes amid reports that the Biden administration might delay the US troop withdrawal by six months.
“I’m aware that there is speculation that the President has made a decision on keeping troops there until November. President Joe Biden has not made a decision or made any announcements on when he’ll decide to remove the troops,” Austin told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.
While India has been invited to a US-proposed summit on Afghanistan in early April in Turkey concerns have been raised in Delhi.
A gathering in Moscow on March 18 did not include India.
India’s media meanwhile reports that Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar is expected in India on Monday for talks with officials.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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